Education

2003-2008,  Ph.D., Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

1998-2002,  B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University

Academic Experience

2020-present  Associate Professor (with tenure), School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2014-present  Principal Investigator, Center for Life Science, Peking University

2014-2019      Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2011-2013      Assistant Project Scientist, Department of Pharmacology, UC San Diego

2009-2011      Postdoctoral Scholar,  Department of Pharmacology, UC San Diego

Overview of Academic Research

Dr. Xiao's primary research focus is on understanding the structure and function of immune molecules, with a particular emphasis on human immunoglobulins. Using cryo-electron microscopy technology, Dr. Xiao’s group has characterized the core structures of secretory IgM and IgA, which provide a framework to further understand their function and pave the way for the structure-based engineering of these important molecules. Dr. Xiao has also investigated how FcμR, the IgM-specific receptor in mammals, recognizes different forms of IgM to regulate diverse immune responses. In CPNL, Dr. Xiao has participated to understand the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 that causes the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigated the molecular mechanisms of a large number of potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies.

Major Honor and Awards

2022 Beijing Science & Technology Progress Awards (second class, 4/8)

2021 WuXi AppTec Life Science and Chemistry Award for Outstanding Achievement

2021 Gu Xiaocheng Lecture award

2020 VCANBIO Award for Innovations and Breakthroughs in Life Sciences and Medicine

2019 National Excellent Young Scientists Fund

Representative Research Achievements 

1. Li, Y., Wang, G., Li, N., Wang, Y., Zhu, Q., Chu, H., Wu, W., Tan, Y., Yu, F., Su, X.D., Gao, N., Xiao, J.* (2020). Structural insights into immunoglobulin M. Science 367:1014-1017.

2. Li, Y., Shen, H., Zhang, R., Ji, C., Wang, Y., Su, C., Xiao, J.* (2023). Immunoglobulin M Perception by FcμR. Nature Online ahead of print.

3. Wang, Y., Wang, G., Li, Y., Zhu, Q., Shen, H., Gao, N., Xiao, J.* (2020). Structural insights into secretory immunoglobulin A and its interaction with a pneumococcal adhesin. Cell Research 30:602-609.

4. Du, S., Cao, Y., Zhu, Q., Yu, P., Qi. F., Wang, G., Du, X., Bao, L., Deng, W., Zhu, H., Liu, J., Nie, J., Zheng, Y., Liang, H., Liu, R., Gong, S., Xu, H., Yisimayi, A., Lv, Q., Wang, B., He, R., Han, Y., Zhao, W., Bai, Y., Qu, Y., Gao, X., Ji, C., Wang, Q., Gao, N., Huang, W., Wang, Y., Xie, S.X.*, Su, X.D.*, Xiao, J.*, Qin, C.* (2020). Structurally resolved SARS-CoV-2 antibody shows high efficacy in severely infected hamsters and provides a potent cocktail pairing strategy. Cell 183:1013-1023.

5. Cao, Y.*, Yisimayi, A., Jian, F., Song, W., Xiao, T., Wang, L., Du, S., Wang, J., Li, Q., Chen, X., Yu, Y., Wang, P., Zhang, Z., Liu, P., An, R., Hao, X., Wang, Y., Wang, J., Feng, R., Sun, H., Zhao, L., Zhang, W., Zhao, D., Zheng, J., Yu, L., Li, C., Zhang, N., Wang, R., Niu, X., Yang, S., Song, X., Chai, Y., Hu, Y., Shi, Y., Zheng, L., Li, Z., Gu, Q., Shao, F., Huang, W., Jin, R., Shen, Z.*, Wang, Y.*, Wang, X.*, Xiao, J.*, Xie, X.S.* (2022). BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 escape antibodies elicited by Omicron infection. Nature 608:593-602.

6. Cao, Y.*, Wang, J., Jian, F., Xiao, T., Song, W., Yisimayi, A., Huang, W., Li, Q., Wang, P., An, R., Wang, J., Wang, Y., Niu, X., Yang, S., Liang, H., Sun, H., Li, T., Yu, Y., Cui, Q., Liu, S., Yang, X., Du, S., Zhang, Z., Hao, X., Shao, F., Jin, R., Wang, X.*, Xiao, J.*, Wang, Y.*, Xie, X.S.* (2022). Omicron escapes the majority of existing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Nature 602:657-663.

7. Liang, K., Li, N., Wang, X., Dai, J., Liu, P., Wang, C., Chen, X.W., Gao, N., Xiao, J.* (2018). Cryo-EM structure of human mitochondrial trifunctional protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:7039-7044.

8. Zhang, H., Zhu, Q., Cui, J., Wang, Y., Chen, M.J., Guo, X., Tagliabracci, V.S., Dixon, J.E., Xiao, J.* (2018). Structure and evolution of the Fam20 kinases. Nature Communications 9:1218.

9. Cui, J., Zhu, Q., Zhang, H., Cianfrocco, M.A., Leschziner, A.E., Dixon, J.E.*, Xiao, J.* (2017). Structure of Fam20A reveals a pseudokinase featuring a unique disulfide pattern and inverted ATP-binding. eLife 6, e23990.

10. Zhu, Q., Venzke, D., Walimbe, A.S., Anderson, M.E., Fu, Q., Kinch, L.N., Wang, W., Chen, X., Grishin, N.V., Huang, N., Yu, L., Dixon, J.E., Campbell, K.P.*, Xiao, J.* (2016). Structure of protein O-mannose kinase reveals a unique active site architecture. eLife 5, e22238.