Xiaoning Bi

Xiaoning Bi, PhD, MD, is a Professor of Physiology and holds the Daljit and Elaine Sarkaria Endowed Professorship in Neuroscience at Western University of Health Sciences. He is affiliated with the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), Department of Biomedical Sciences. His research focuses on neuronal development, aging-related neurodegeneration, and molecular mechanisms underlying neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, and Angelman syndrome. He joined WesternU in 2006 and has held progressive roles from Assistant Professor (UCI, 2002–2005) to his current position.

Education:

• PhD in Neurobiology, University of Southern California (1996)
• M.D., Neuroanatomy, Zurich University (1994)
• M.S. and M.D. in Medicine, China (1982–1986)

Research Interests:

• mTOR signaling pathways in learning/memory impairment
• UBE3A regulation of potassium channels (SK2)
• Calpain enzymes in synaptic plasticity and neurodegeneration
• Therapeutic targets for Angelman syndrome and traumatic brain injury

Key Contributions:

• Discovered imbalanced mTORC1/C2 activity in Angelman syndrome mouse models
• Identified SK2 channel regulation by UBE3A
• Developed calpain-2 inhibitors as potential TBI treatments

Labs/Teams: Leads a lab studying neuronal development and neurodegenerative mechanisms, collaborating with Michel Baudry on calpain research.