Dept. of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine – MCG GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Translational
Neuroscience
School of Graduate Studies
Mailing Address:
Dept. of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine
1120 15th Street, Rm. CA3006
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Augusta, GA 30912
icon Phone: (706) 722-0550
icon Office: CA-3006
icon E-mail: xylu@augusta.edu
Chronic stress, neurodegeneration, depression, synaptic plasticity, behavior
Research in our lab is focused on understanding molecular, cellular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Our on-going projects include 1) cellular mechanisms underlying chronic stress-accelerated brain aging and neurodegeneration; 2) histone modifications during aging and in Alzheimer’s disease (AD); 3) adipokine modulation of synaptic plasticity and cognitive behaviors; 4) role of inflammaging progression in neurodegeneration; and 5) hippocampal and hypothalamic neurons in stress response and adaptation.
Xin-Yun Lu, MD, PhD - Professor
Yun Lei, PhD – Assistant Professor
Jacob Garza, PhD – Senior Research Scientist
Yuting Chen, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
Maryam Malek, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
Elina K C, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
Florika Patel - Research Associate
Yu Bai – Research Associate
Ning Wu – Research Assistant
Shu Chen – Research Assistant
Jayvon Nougiasse - MD/PhD Student
Amin Karimi Moghaddam - PhD Student
Sankeerth Kanumuri - PhD Student
Nithya Rajanala - MD Student
Rebecca McDonald - Honors Program, Neuroscience Undergraduate Student
Aditi Yellu, BS/MD - Professional Scholars Program
Cole Dorminey - Honors Program, Undergraduate Student
We are currently welcoming postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate
students to join our laboratory.
We seek postdoctoral fellows interested in studying Alzheimer’s disease, depression and PTSD. The ideal candidates will hold a PhD in neuroscience, physiology, molecular/cell biology, metabolic biology or neuropharmacology. Expertise in electrophysiology, transgenic mouse models, epigenetics, imaging, and in vitro and in vivo adipose biology is desirable. Candidates are expected to have good communication skills and have a strong drive for building a successful research career.
We welcome graduate students and are interested in potential rotation students. Prospective students can apply to our lab through the Graduate Program in Neuroscience as well as through the MD/PhD Program.
We accept motivated undergraduate students who are interested in biomedical research.
Sex-specific transcriptomic profiling reveals key players in bone loss associated
with Alzheimer's disease.
Geroscience. 2025 Jan 29. doi: 10.1007/s11357-025-01535-7. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39875754
Elucidating the Causal Link Between Treg-Related Immune Traits and Atherosclerosis-Related Cardiovascular Diseases: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomisation Analysis. Heart Lung Circ. 2025 Jan 24:S1443-9506(24)01875-4. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2024.10.016. Online ahead of print.PMID: 39863464
