Xiaowei Lu

Xiaowei Lu is a Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Virginia with a courtesy appointment. His research focuses on Wnt/PCP signaling mechanisms in inner ear development, neural tube closure, and auditory neuron innervation. He holds a BS in Biochemistry from Beijing University, a PhD in Biology from MIT, and completed postdoctoral training in Developmental Neurobiology at UCSF.

• Biochemistry (Beijing University)
• Biology PhD (MIT)
• Postdoc in Developmental Neurobiology (UCSF)

Research Interests:
1. Wnt/PCP signaling in hair cell polarity and cochlear development
2. Spiral ganglion neuron innervation of auditory hair cells
3. Biomechanical roles of PTK7 in neural tube closure. Current projects investigate novel Wnt/G protein/PI3K signaling pathways and CRISPR-based studies of Ptk7 variants in mouse embryos. Collaborations with Dr. Ann Sutherland explore actomyosin dynamics in live embryos.

Selected grants and funding: Not explicitly listed here but implied through ongoing collaborative projects. No listed advisees/master students in provided text. Active lab collaborations focus on auditory development and neural tube defects.

Labs/Teams: Collaborative work with Dr. Ann Sutherland's lab investigating neural tube closure biomechanics using CRISPR and live embryo imaging techniques.