Xuanmao Chen

Xuanmao Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), affiliated with the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. His research focuses on hippocampal memory formation and primary cilia signaling, with a vision to bridge fundamental neuroscience with translational medicine. He teaches courses in pharmacology and molecular biology, and has trained students in techniques ranging from molecular biology to in vivo calcium imaging.

Education: Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Tübingen, Germany; M.S. in Genetics from Fudan University, China; B.S. in Biology from Nanchang University, China.

Research Interests: Chen's lab investigates how hippocampal neurons encode associative memories and how ciliary signaling impacts neurodevelopment. Key discoveries include the role of burst synchronization in trace fear memory and the discovery of postnatal neuronal reverse movement guided by cilia directionality. Research methods include patch-clamp electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, and transgenic animal models.

Funding: NIH grants (K01AG054729, P20GM113131, R15MH126317), COLE Research Awards, Hamel Center grants, and UNH fellowships. His lab collaborates widely, with publications in Molecular Neurobiology, Molecular Brain, and Current Biology.

Labs/Teams: Directs a multidisciplinary team with expertise in molecular biology, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis. Lab members include graduate and undergraduate students working on projects related to neural activity hierarchy and ciliary dysfunction in cognitive disorders.