Xiu-Ti Hu

Xiu-Ti Hu, MD, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Microbial Pathogens & Immunity at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. With over 30 years of experience as a neuroscientist, he leads the Laboratory of Xiu-Ti Hu focused on understanding the neurological impacts of drugs of abuse, HIV, and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Hu's primary research interests include HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, and the impact of drugs of abuse on brain function. His work specifically examines neuronal calcium dysregulation as a pathway to neurotoxicity in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. His laboratory investigates how cocaine, methamphetamine, HIV, and beta-amyloid proteins disrupt neuronal function in animal models of these conditions.

His research team employs electrophysiological techniques (patch-clamp recording of neurons and astrocytes), drug self-administration paradigms, and molecular biology approaches to study these chronic brain diseases. His work has significant implications for developing therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative conditions.

Dr. Hu's scientific contributions are supported by multiple NIH grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and National Institute of Aging (NIA). His laboratory has published 63 peer-reviewed scientific articles with 2 additional manuscripts currently under review, plus 10 invited book chapters.

His research team includes Stefanie L. Cassoday, PhD (Postdoctoral Fellow); Lihua Chen, PhD (Research Scientist); Durim Imeri (Research Lab Tech 2); and Tabita Kreko-Pierce, PhD (Instructor).