Xia Mao

** ********** *****, **********, ** *****

530-***-**** (cell)

ac0hoe@r.postjobfree.com

US Work Permit (Green Card)

OBJECTIVE

I am looking for full time position in pharmaceutical company or research institute/university

CORE EXPERTISE

Over fifteen years of research experience with highly reputed academic institutions including the National Institutes of Health, University of California at Davis and University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Twelve-year experience in analysis and interpretation results from animal models as well as lab set up, equipment evaluation, lab safety and management.

Three years of experience in evaluation of acute and chronic toxicity for new drugs and cosmetics using animal models.

Extensive experience in electrophysiology including ultra-fast agonist application to neuronal outside-out patches, ionotropic glutamate receptors in acute and organotypic mouse brain slices, ATP-sensitive potassium channels in hippocampus neuron and voltage gated sodium channels in dorsal root ganglion neuron.

Specialist in molecular biology, primary cell/slides culture, cloning, viral constructs, protein, RT-PCR, RNA and DNA analysis.

Expert in mouse survival surgery including in utero electroporation, intrathecal drug application and mouse colony management.

SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Twenty-three peer-reviewed publications and review articles.

Designed a series of experiments which found that the GSG1L protein negatively regulates surface AMPA receptors and modulates non-spatial object memory, indicating a novel mechanism for disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Led and conducted a project revealed that specific deletion of Smad4 results in vascular defects that lead to embryonic lethality in mice, indicating that Smad4 contributes to vascular smooth muscle phenotype and function and vascular development during mouse embryogeniesis.

Accomplished a project that revealed the functional domain of Runx2 in vascular smooth muscle calcification, which is a prevalent complication in patients with atherosclerosis, diabetes and end stage renal disease.

Established that Caffeine exerts dual regulation on the function of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, which provides new insight for a variety of diseases including angina, hypertension, and diabetes.

Accomplished a project that revealed BmK AS-1, a scorpion venom derived neurotoxic polypeptide, may be a new component with potent antinociceptive activity mediated by modulation TTX-S and TTX-R sodium channels

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Biologist

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Synapse and Neural Circuit Unit

Feb. 2012 – Present

Established and maintained a small animal survival surgery station within NINDS which involved several multi-institute collaborations.

Setup and performed ultra-fast agonist application to neuronal outside-out patch experiments, providing a unique way to study synaptic neurophysiology by experimentally mimic the release of neurotransmitters.

Managed more than 20 rodent colonies in the lab and performed PCR for mice genotype.

Performed molecular cloning in the lab as well as brain tissue / dissociated primary neuron and cell line culture.

Performed bullet-making and gene gun shooting for brain slides diolistic labeling.

Performed in utero electroporation for collaborations with colleagues.

Involved in new lab set up, equipment evaluation, lab safety and management including maintaining controlled drug inventory, biohazard waste handling.

Managed stock and ordering of laboratory supplies.

Supervised summer students, visiting scholars and postbacs.

Awarded distinguished achievement for research for the excellence of work on the role of excitatory neurotransmission in neuronal development.

Research Assistant

Department of pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL

Aug. 2008 – Feb.2012

Set up animal time breeding and immunohistochemistry method for study the role of Smad4 in vascular smooth muscle development.

Generated and purified a serial of lentiviral constructs carrying Runx2 deletion mutants to study their role in vascular smooth muscle calcification.

Performed cloning of plasmids carrying Runx2 deletion mutants, primary vascular smooth muscle cell culture, PCR, protein purification, western analysis.

Mouse colony management and actively join colleagues’ research projects.

Staff Research Associate, Oct.2006–Aug.2008

Postgraduate Researcher, Oct.2004–Oct.2006

Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California at Davis, CA

Performed electrophysiology recording on transfected mammalian cells and neurons using whole-cell recording, single channel recording, perforated patch-clamp recording and current clamp recording.

Generated and maintained primary dissociated neuron culture and cell line culture.

Set up cell viability assays after oxygen-glucose deprivation followed by imaging analysis.

Involved general laboratory maintenance and lab safety management.

Investigator

Import and Export Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in Suzhou, P.R.China

Jul. 2000 – Oct.2004

Performed study of antigen of Treponema Pallidum and participated its clinical applications

Implemented the health inspection and quarantine system, including public health surveillance. The system was well adopted during SARS outbreak in 2000

Provided food inspection service and GMP/HACCP consultation for company in Suzhou and health quarantine and epidemiology education for international travelers.

Provided support in scientific communication, data analysis and training of junior staff on surveillance and evaluation effectiveness

EDUCATION

Master in Neuroscience, Department of Neurotoxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P.R.China, 2000

Bachelor in medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P.R.China, 1997

AWARDS

Distinguished Achievement Award in NIH, 2015

Leading Expert Award in Health Quarantine of Jiangsu Province, China, 2004

Anti-SARS elitist of Jiangsu Inspection and Quarantine System, 2003

Outstanding Youth Award in Science and Technology of Suzhou City, 2002

Third Place Award of Medical Technology Advancement of China (No.200103137P1009), 2001

Graduate Scholarship by Nanjing Medical University, 1997, 1998

Top Award for Women with Scholarship by Nanjing Medical University, 1996

Top Scholarship in 5 consecutive years during undergraduate study, 1992-1997

TECHNICAL SKILLS SUMMARY

Cell Biology and Histology

Primary and cell line culture, brain slides culture, transfection, light and confocal microscopy, immunohistochemistry, lentivirus production, rodent transcardial perfusion, diolistic labeling (Gene-gun)

Electrophysiology

Synaptic physiology, ultra-fast agonist application, LTP/LTD, EPSC, IPSC, mEPSC, drug perfusion, patch recording from embryonic brain slices, whole-cell, cell-attached, inside-out and outside-out patch recording.

Protein Biochemistry

Western blotting, co-IP

Molecular Biology

Expression cloning, PCR, gel electrophoresis, DNA and RNA extraction, plasmid construction

Behavioral Assessment

Rodent colony management, genotyping, open-field, Morris water maze, nociceptive test (C component of flexion reflex)

Survival Surgery

In Utero Electroporation, intrathecal drug application

Computer Skills

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, GraphPad Prism

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

X Mao, X Gu, W Lu. GSG1L regulates the strength of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission but not AMPA receptor kinetics in hippocampal dentate granule neuron. J of Neurophysiology. 2017 Jan 1;117(1):28-35

X Gu, X Mao, M Lussier, MA Hutchison, L Zhou, KF Hamra, KW Roche, W Lu. GSG1L suppresses AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and uniquelymodulates AMPA receptor kinetics in hippocampal neurons. Nature Communications. 2016; Mar 2; 7: 10873 ( These authors contributed equally to this work)

X Mao, P DeBenedittis, JF Chen, KY Yuan, K Jiao, YB Chen. Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Smad4 Gene is Important for Mouse Vascular Development. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2012 Sep;32(9):2171-7

X Mao, YP Chai, YF Lin. Dual Regulation of ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels by Caffeine in Transfected Human Embryonic Kidney 293 Cells. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 2007 292:C2239-C2258

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