Dr. Lei Xing completed his undergraduate and masters studies at the medical school of Jilin University, China. His strong interest in neuroscience led him to University of Ottawa, where he studied neuroestrogen regulation by neurotransmitters in the adult brain during his Ph.D, under the supervision of Dr. Vance Trudeau. To further understand the role of hormones and neurotransmitters in the developing brain, Dr. Xing joined the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden, Germany in 2016, as a postdoctoral researcher. In Dr. Wieland Huttner’s lab, his work using mouse, ferret and human organoid has identified a novel role of serotonin as an extrinsic factor to promote basal progenitor proliferation in the developing human neocortex and also linked the enhanced memory flexibility to the expanded neocortex induced by the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. In September 2023, Dr. Xing joined the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Manitoba as an Assistant Professor, his research is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of placental factors on brain development, evolution and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Ho In (Charlie) Shin
Master’s Student
Charlie completed his undergraduate studies in Genetics (Honours) at the University of Manitoba. Having developed a keen interest in molecular biology and developmental neuroscience, he has chosen to pursue research as a graduate student. His research focuses on the role of GDF15-regulated downstream genes on the development of the neocortex.
Ruby Mohamad
Honour’s Student
Ruby is an undergraduate honours student in the department of biological sciences interested in regulatory mechanisms in the developing brain. Her project focuses on understanding the regulation of gene expression by placental factors in the developing mouse and human neocortex.
Erica Wong
Undergraduate Student
Erica is an undergraduate biology student with a strong interest in the cellular and molecular processes found in the developing brain. Her project focuses on using molecular cloning techniques to study the influences of gene overexpression in the embryonic mouse neurodevelopment.
Drishti Sandhu
Undergraduate Student
Drishti Sandhu has a strong interest in learning about neuroscience and neurodevelopmental disorders. Under the supervision of Dr. Lei Xing, the focus of her project is studying the altered cell biology of neural progenitor cells in the fetal brains of individuals with Down syndrome.
