Xian Wu, Ph.D.
Education/Employment
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship – National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- ORISE Fellowship – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Ph.D. – University of Georgia – Toxicology
- M.S. – East China Normal University – Biomedicine
- B.S. – Anhui University – Biotechnology
Research Interests
My research primarily centers around employing human stem cell (ESC/iPSC) in vitro models to simulate disease conditions in both cardiovascular and neural systems, with a specific focus on developmental toxicology and human health. To achieve this, we utilize a fluorescence reporter cell system and organoid models, aiming to elucidate the critical periods of vulnerability during early human development when exposed to environmental contaminants. At a mechanistic level, our emphasis lies in investigating epigenetic alterations and conducting pathway analyses via RNA-seq to understand the effects of chemicals.
Furthermore, our interest extends to the development of stem cell models for diseases affecting the cardiovascular and neurogenerative systems, such as the progression of conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Our recent endeavors have revolved around the cardiac organoid model, exploring aspects of cardiomyopathy and cardiac fibrosis within the context of disease. In addition, we’ve developed both 2D and 3D models of dopaminergic neurons to advance our understanding of Parkinson’s disease, focusing particularly on the regulation of mitochondria during disease progression.
Awards and Honors
2025 Sponsored Activities and Research Catalyst (SPARC) Award, ECU
2024 Top Abstract Award, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Society, USA
2024 Travel Award, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences P30 center (CHHE)
2023 Faculty Support and Reassignment Awards for Research and Creative Activity, ECU
Laboratory Members
- Cate Duncan, Ph.D. Graduate Student
- Kamilah Muhammad, M.S. Graduate Student
- Bailey Skeen, M.S. Graduate Student
- Bryce Tilghman, Neuroscience Undergraduate Student
Former Lab Members:
- McKyrah Brown, Honors College Undergraduate Student (2024-2025)
- Monica Cross, Honors College Undergraduate Student (2023-2024)
Selected Publications
Full list of publications on PubMed
- Wu X, Williams S, Robidoux J, Sriramula S, Abdel-Rahman A, Advanced cardiac organoid model for studying doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, Toxicological Sciences, 2025; kfaf115.
- Wu X, Kreutz A, Dixon D, Tokar EJ. Engineering human cerebral organoids to explore mechanisms of arsenic-induced developmental neurotoxicity, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 2025; 496: 117230.
- Wu X, Leung T, Jima D, Iyangbe M, Bang J. Developing a Feasible Fast-Track Testing Method for Developmental Neurotoxicity Studies: Alternative Model for Risk Assessment of Micro-and Nanoplastics, Frontiers in Toxicology, 2025, doi: 10.3389/ftox.2025.1567225.
- Wu X, Chen Y, Kreutz A, Silver B, Tokar EJ. Pluripotent stem cells for target organ developmental toxicity testing, Toxicological Sciences, 2024; kfae037.
- Wu X, CY, Luz AL, Hu G, Tokar EJ. Cardiac development in the presence of cadmium: an in vitro study using human embryonic stem cells and cardiac organoids. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2022; 130:11.
- Tang QQ, Gui J, Wu X, Wu W. Downregulation of miR-424 in placenta is associated with severe preeclampsia. Pregnancy Hypertension. 2019; 17:109-112.
- Wu X, Swetenburg R, Goodfellow F, Stice SL. Modeling human pregnancy-associated developmental neurotoxicity in vitro using pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and astrocytes. Journal of Pediatrics and Pediatric Medicine. 2018;2(1):37-42.
- Tang QQ, Pan F, Yang J, Fu Z, Lu Y, Wu X, et al. Idiopathic male infertility is strongly associated with aberrant DNA methylation of imprinted loci in sperm: a case-control study. Clinical Epigenetics. 2018;10(1):1-10.
- Guo D, Jiang H, Chen Y, Yang J, Fu Z, Li J, Han X, Wu X, et al. Elevated microRNA-141-3p in placenta of non-diabetic macrosomia regulate trophoblast proliferation. EBioMedicine. 2018;38:154-161.
- Goodfellow FT, Willard KA, Wu X, Scoville S, Stice SL, Brindley MA. Strain-Dependent Consequences of Zika Virus Infection and Differential Impact on Neural Development. Viruses. 2018;10(10):550.
- Yang XK, Wu X, Brown KA, Le T, Stice SL, Bartlett MG. Determination of chlorpyrifos and its metabolites in cells and culture media by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography B-Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences. 2017;1063:112-117.
- Wu X, Yang X, Majumder A, et al. From the Cover: Astrocytes are protective against chlorpyrifos developmental neurotoxicity in human pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocyte-neuron cocultures. Toxicol Sci. 2017;157(2):410-420.
- Wu X, Majumder A, Webb R, Stice SL. High content imaging quantification of multiple in vitro human neurogenesis events after neurotoxin exposure. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2016;17(1):62.
Book Chapter
“Toxicology of Inorganic Carcinogens”, Anthony L. Luz, Xian Wu, Erik J. Tokar. Advances in Molecular Toxicology, Volume 12. 2018