Xuesi Shao

Xuesi Shao, MD is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. His research focuses on understanding the physiological and toxicological effects of nicotine and e-cigarette exposure, particularly on cardiovascular and respiratory systems. He has led NIH-funded studies developing aerosol exposure systems for rodent models and investigating transgenerational health impacts of vaping.

Key research areas include:

• E-cigarette-induced cardiac dysfunction
• Nicotine pharmacokinetics in pregnancy
• Epigenetic programming from in utero toxin exposure
• Comparative toxicity of e-cigarette devices

He has served as Co-Principal Investigator on multiple NIH grants (R42DA044788, R01HL135623) and published extensively in journals like Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and Science Reports. His work emphasizes translational research linking molecular mechanisms to public health outcomes.

Notable collaborations include studies with Theodore Friedman (electronic cigarette cardiovascular risk) and Amiya Sinha-Hikim (hepatic DNA damage mechanisms). His research networks focus on nicotine delivery systems and respiratory pharmacology.