Biography & Research:
Xinglong Wang is the R. Ken and Donna Coit Endowed Chair in Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona. He studies the mechanism(s) underlying neuronal death in various major neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His recent research activities focus on mitochondrial dysfunction and TDP-43 proteinopathies, two prominent pathological features in these devastating diseases. His lab provided the first evidence of TDP-43 accumulation within mitochondria in neurodegenerative diseases, and suggested the targeting TDP-43 in mitochondria as a potential novel therapeutic approach for neurodegeneration. The lab is now pursuing the physiological function of TDP-43 in mitochondria and the identification of small molecular inhibitors of TDP-43 in mitochondria. Dr. Wang has authored or co-authored over 80 papers, many in top tier journals. Dr. Wang has been the recipient of the ISN Young Scientist Lectureship Award and ASIP Experimental Pathologist-in-Graduate Training Award.