Wendy Xin

Dr. Wendy Xin is a scientist at the Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute and Krembil Brain Institute at UHN and assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto. Wendy received an Honours BSc from UofT and a PhD in neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. Her research program focuses on the reciprocal interactions between neurons and oligodendrocytes, the cells that make myelin in the central nervous system, and how they impact neuronal circuit maturation and cognition.

Research Interests:

 Neuron-oligodendrocyte interactions in circuit maturation and plasticity

Keywords:

Myelin, oligodendrocytes, synaptic plasticity, neuronal circuits, neurodevelopment, neuron-glial interactions, neurodevelopmental disorders

Detailed Description:

The Xin lab studies the reciprocal interactions between neurons and oligodendrocytes, the cells that make myelin in the central nervous system. We are especially interested in how oligodendrocytes and myelin influence neurons at the molecular, synaptic, and circuit levels. These interactions are crucial for normal brain function and, when disrupted, result in serious deficits in motor function and cognition. Studies in preclinical models suggest that myelination is essential for different forms of learning and memory, but we don't yet understand how oligodendrocytes and their myelin sheaths interact with specific neuronal circuits to impact their function and plasticity. To address this knowledge gap, our lab combines innovative genetic tools with high-resolution approaches for studying neuronal physiology to examine how oligodendrocytes and myelin shape neuronal circuit maturation, function, and plasticity. Research in this area is crucial for understanding brain development and lifelong plasticity, particularly in light of numerous studies identifying myelin deficits as a common pathological hallmark of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

Appointments:

Scientist, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute and Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network; Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto

Methods Used:

In vivo two-photon structural and functional imaging, in vivo electrophysiology, opto- and chemogenetic manipulation of circuit activity, slice patch-clamp electrophysiology, mouse behavior assays with movement tracking and disease mouse models, biochemical techniques for assessing the molecular composition of synapses, electron microscopy to assess myelin integrity

Equipment Used:

Two-photon microscope, Neuropixels, optic fibers, mouse behavioral apparatuses, slice electrophysiology rigs