Research: 

Our research is focused on a newly identified family of non-coding RNAs called microRNAs. Thousands of human protein-coding genes are regulated by microRNAs, and microRNAs may act as master regulators for many important biological pathways. By combining computational data modeling with high-throughput experimental data, we are developing novel computational algorithms to more accurately predict the genes targeted by microRNAs. Furthermore, we are also carrying out large-scale profiling experiments to identify microRNAs that are involved in cancer development. By combining bioinformatics and experimental biology, we hope that our systems biology approach of microRNA study will shed light on the functions of microRNAs under normal physiological conditions as well as various disease states.

Biography:  

Xiaowei Wang received his Ph.D. degree from Tufts Medical School. Then he worked as a Bioinformatics Specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and later as a Bioinformatics Manager at Applied Biosystems. In 2007, Dr. Wang joined Washington University to set up an RNAi research lab.

Publications:

• Gao G, Gay HA, Chernock RD, Zhang TR, Luo J, Thorstad WL, Lewis JS, Wang X* (2012) A microRNA expression signature for the prognosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer, in press.
• Wang X, Spandidos A, Wang H, Seed B (2012) PrimerBank: a PCR primer database for quantitative gene expression analysis, 2012 update. Nucleic Acids Research 40(1):D1144-1149.
• Nelson PT*, Wang WX, Mao G, Wilfred BR, Xie K, Jennings MH, Gao Z, Wang X* (2011) Specific sequence determinants of miR-15/107 microRNA gene group targets. Nucleic Acids Research 39(18):8163-8172.
• Hu X, Schwarz JK, Lewis JS., Huettner PC, Rader JS, Deasy JO, Grigsby PW, Wang X* (2010) A microRNA expression signature for cervical cancer prognosis. Cancer Research 70(4):1441-1448.
• Wang X* (2010) Computational prediction of microRNA targets. Methods in Molecular Biology 667:283-295.
• Wang X*, Wang XH, Varma RK, Beauchamp L, Magdaleno S, Sendera TJ (2009) Selection of hyperfunctional siRNAs with improved potency and specificity. Nucleic Acids Research 37(22):e152 1-9.
• Hu X, Macdonald DM, Huettner PC, Feng Z, El Naqa IM, Schwarz JK, Mutch DG, Grigsby PW, Powell SN, Wang X* (2009) A miR-200 microRNA cluster as prognostic marker in advanced ovarian cancer. Gynecologic Oncology 114(3):457-464.
• Wang X* (2009) A PCR-based platform for microRNA expression profiling studies. RNA 15(4):716-723.
• Wang X* (2008) miRDB: a microRNA target prediction and functional annotation database with a wiki interface. RNA 14(6):1012-1017.
• Wang X* and El Naqa IM (2008) Prediction of both conserved and nonconserved microRNA targets in animals. Bioinformatics 24(3):325-332.

  
  

Education

• 2000:   Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston
• 1993:   B.S. in Biochemistry, Nankai University, China