Ming Xu

Ming Xu is a Professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care and affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of drug addiction and developing treatments using behavioral, genetic, anatomical, and molecular biological methods. He has led projects on cocaine-induced reward memory reconsolidation and gene therapy via skin stem cells.

• Education:
  • BS in Chemistry, Peking University (1982)
  • PhD in Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (1989)
  • Postdoc in Neurobiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1995)

His work spans neuroscience, molecular biology, and biomedical engineering, with key contributions in dopamine receptor dynamics, autophagy regulation, and stem cell-based therapies for cocaine and ethanol abuse. Recent publications highlight applications in schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and reproductive medicine.

Scientific funding includes multiple NIH grants as Principal Investigator for projects targeting cocaine addiction, alcohol use disorder, and dopamine receptor mechanisms. Collaborations with researchers like Woodruff TK and Shea LD underpin his interdisciplinary approach.