Duncan NRI Xiangling Meng, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurolog, Baylor College of Medicine
Principal Investigator, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital
Principal Investigator, Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories at Texas Children's Hospital
Contact Information
Phone:
Email: xiangling.meng@bcm.edu
Research focus
Genetic regulation of human brain development, mechanisms underlying neurological disorders, human-derived 3D neuronal cultures
Get to know Xiangling Meng, Ph.D.
The Meng Lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying a range of neurological disorders, including autism, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases—conditions that affect millions of individuals and present long-term challenges for patients and families. A major obstacle in understanding these disorders has been the limited access to intact and functional human brain tissue to for detailed investigation. To address this, the lab utilizes brain organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) to model human brain development and disease. These three-dimensional organoids recapitulate key features of early brain development, providing a powerful and human-relevant platform for studying disease mechanisms.
The lab’s research is centered around three core aims: (1) investigating the role of gene regulation in human-specific brain traits; (2) uncovering novel pathogenic mechanisms of neurological disorders; and (3) developing innovative gene therapies to treat these conditions. By integrating cutting-edge cellular models with functional genomics and therapeutic development, the Meng Lab aims to advance our understanding of the brain and translate discoveries into strategies for treating neurological disorders. The lab is also deeply committed to training the next generation of scientists through interdisciplinary mentorship and collaboration.
2023 Poster award at Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Seed Grants Program Poster Session, Stanford, CA
2021 Stanford School of Medicine Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stanford, CA
2017 BCM Graduate Student Symposium 1st place Poster Award, Houston, TX
2016 First International SYNGAP1 Conference Travel Award, Houston, TX
2016 23rd Annual Neuroscience Poster Session 1st place Poster Award, Houston, TX
2016 BCM Graduate Student Symposium 2nd place Poster Award, Houston, TX
2015 RIKEN BSI Summer Program Fellowship, Tokyo, Japan
2014 BCM Department of Neuroscience Tenneco Travel Fellowship, Houston, TX
Xiaoyu Chen, Fikri Birey, Min-Yin Li Omer Revah, Rebecca Levy, Mayuri Vijay Thete, Noah Reis, Konstantin Kaganovsky, Massimo Onesto, Noriaki Sakai, Zuzana Hudacova, Jin Hao, Xiangling Meng, Seiji Nishino, John Huguenard and Sergiu P. Pașca. Antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic approach for Timothy syndrome. Nature (2024)
Xiangling Meng, David Yao, Kevin W Kelley, Noah Reis, Mayuri V Thete, Shravanti Kulkarni, Michael C Bassik, Sergiu P Pasca. Assembloid CRISPR screens reveal impact of disease genes in human neurodevelopment. Nature (2023).
Xiangling Meng, Christopher M McGraw, Wei Wang, Junzhan Jing, Szu-Ying Yeh, Li Wang, Joanna Lopez, Amanda M Brown, Tao Lin, Wu Chen, Mingshan Xue, Roy V Sillitoe, Xiaolong Jiang, Huda Y Zoghbi. Neurexophilin4 is a selectively expressed α-neurexin ligand that modulates specific cerebellar synapses and motor functions. eLife (2019)
Xiangling Meng, Wei Wang, Hui Lu, Ling-jie He, Wu Chen, Eugene Chao, Marta L. Fiorotto, Bin Tang, Jose A. Herrera, Michelle L. Seymour, Jeffrey L. Neul, Fred A. Pereira, Jianrong Tang, Mingshan Xue, Huda Y. Zoghbi. Manipulations of MeCP2 in glutamatergic neurons highlight their contributions to Rett and other neurological disorders. eLife (2016)
View complete list of publications by Xiangling Meng, PhD here