Biographical Info

Dr. Shuo Xiao is a tenured Associate Professor from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. He earned his MBBS in Preventive Medicine and MS in Toxicology from Peking University, followed by a PhD in Female Reproductive Biology and Toxicology from University of Georgia. He completed his Postdoctoral Training in Dr. Teresa Woodruff’ lab at Northwestern University. Dr. Xiao’s current research is dedicated to advancing women’s reproductive health. His research is funded by NIH (NIEHS and NICHD), DOD, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Xiao has published > 60 peer-reviewed papers in high impact journals, including Nature Communications, Environmental Health Perspectives, Biology of Reproduction, and Toxicological Sciences. Dr. Xiao now serves as the Chair of Basic Science Committee of Oncofertility Consortium, President of American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT), Secretary/Treasurer of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Reproductive and Developmental Specialty Section (RDTSS), and Toxicology Division Councilor of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

Dr. Xiao has received several major awards to recognize his research in female reproductive biology and toxicology, such as the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Toxicology Division Early Career Award in 2024, Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award in 2024, the JOINN Biomere Outstanding Young Toxicologist Award from AACT in 2023, the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Chancellor Basic Sciences Researcher Award in 2022, and the New-Career Scientist Award from the Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section (RDTSS) of Society of Toxicology (SOT) in 2022.

Research Areas

The Xiao lab research is primarily focused on women’s reproductive health. There are multiple active projects including (1) the impacts of classic and emerging environmental contaminants on women’s reproductive health, in particular of women’s ovaries and uterus and associated menstrual cycles, fertility, and early pregnancy; (2) engineering an ovary-on-a-chip and female reproductive system-on-chip using microfluidic and organoid technologies; (3) development of novel birth control pills for women; and (4) women’s reproductive diseases such as premature ovarian failure and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Scholarly Activities

Dr. Xiao has received several major awards to recognize his research in female reproductive biology and toxicology, such as the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Toxicology Division Early Career Award in 2024, Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Virendra B. Mahesh New Investigator Award in 2024, the JOINN Biomere Outstanding Young Toxicologist Award from AACT in 2023, the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS) Chancellor Basic Sciences Researcher Award in 2022, and the New-Career Scientist Award from the Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section (RDTSS) of Society of Toxicology (SOT) in 2022.

Dr. Xiao is active on serving professional societies:

1. President, American Association of Chinese in Toxicology (AACT), Society of Toxicology (SOT) (2024 – present)
2. Treasurer/Secretory, Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology Specialty Section (RDTSS), Society of Toxicology (SOT) (2024 – present)
3. Councilor, Toxicology Division, Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) (2024 – present)
4. Co-Chair of the Basic Science Committee, Oncofertility Consortium (2021 – present)
5. Virtual Education Committee (VEC) Member, Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) (2022 – present)
6. Editorial Board: Reproductive Toxicology, Biology of Reproduction, and Toxicological Sciences
7. Faculty of the training program of Frontiers in Reproduction (FIR), Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, MA

Recent Publications as the corresponding author (in past 5 years)

1. Zhan T, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Zhao Q, Chemerinski A, Douglas NC, Zhang Q, Xiao S. A dose-response study on functional and transcriptomic effects of FSH on ex vivo mouse folliculogenesis. Endocrinology. 2024 May 27;165(7):bqae054. PMC11129714.
2. Wang Y, Pattarawat P, Zhang J, Kim E, Zhang D, Fang M, Jannaman EA, Yuan Y, Chatterjee S, Kim JJ, Scott GI, Zhang Q, Xiao S. Cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin-LR interferes with gonadotropin-dependent ovarian follicle maturation and ovulation. Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). 2023 Jun;131(6):67010. PMID: 37342990. (NIEHS Extramural Papers of the Month in September 2023)
3. Zhang J, Russo DD, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Zelinski MB, Shalet AK, Goods BA, Xiao S. Vitrification preserves follicular transcriptomic dynamics during ex vivo ovulation. Biology of Reproduction (BOR). 2023 Sep 12;109(3):240-243.PMID: 37498173.
4. McClam M, Liu J, Fan Yi, Zhang T, Zhang WQ, Porter DE, Scott GI, Xiao S. Associations between exposure to single cadmium, lead, mercury and mixtures and women’s infertility and long-term amenorrhea. Achieves of Public Health. 2023; 81: 161. PMID: 37626539.
5. Zhang J, Goods BA, Pattarawat P, Wang Y, Haining T, Zhang Q, Shalek AK, Duncan FE, Woodruff TK, Xiao S. An ex vivo ovulation system enables the discovery of novel ovulatory pathways and non-hormonal contraceptive candidates. Biology of Reproduction (BOR). 2023 Apr 11;108(4):629-644.
6. Huang Z, Yan X, Xiao S. Research progress on new technology of ovarian fertility preservation in oncofertility. Chinese Journal of Practical Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2022, 38 (11).
7. Han F, Chen G, Tao G, Xu J, Zhang H, Zhang L, Li H, Zhao Y, Kimura S, Wei X, Ruan Y, Wu C, Xiao S*, Zhan M*, Zheng W*. Thyroid-disrupting effects caused by exposure to alternative flame retardants from groundwater contamination in rural central China. Science of the Total Environment. 2022. May 27;156300. (*Co-corresponding author)
8. McClam M. S Xiao. Preserving oocytes in Oncofertility. Biology of Reproduction (BOR). 2022 Feb 22;106(2):328-337.
9. Wang Y, Russo DD, Pattarawat P, Zhang Q, Zelinski MB, Shalek AK, Goods BA, Xiao S. Vitrification preserves murine ovarian follicular cell transcriptome in a 3D encapsulated in vitro follicle growth system. Biology of Reproduction (BOR). 2021 Dec 20;105(6):1378-1380.
10. Xu J, Wang Y, Kauffman AE, Zhang Y, Li Y, Zhu J, Maratea K, Fabre K, Zhang Q, Woodruff TK, Xiao S. A tiered female ovarian toxicity screening identifies toxic effects of checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitors on murine growing follicles. Toxicological Sciences. 2020 Oct 1;177(2):405-19.
11. Zubizarreta ME, and Xiao S. Bioengineering models of female reproduction. Bio-Design and Manufacturing. 2020 Sep;3(3):237-251.
12. Zhao Y, Zhang X, Zubizarreta ME, Xia Y, Li Y, Zhang X, Sheng M, Song Q, Xiao S. A survey study reveals the positive impact of oncofertility knowledge and attitude on oncofertility practice among oncologists in China. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology. 2020 Oct 29.
13. Jiang B, Kauffman AE, Li L, McFee W, Cai B, Weinstein J, Lead J, Chatterjee S, Scott GI, Xiao S. Health impacts of environmental contamination of micro- and nanoplastics: a review. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2020 Jul 14; 25(1):29.
14. Wang Y, Xu J, Stanley J. Xu M, Brooks BW, Scott GI, Chatterjee S. Zhang Q, Zelinski MB, Xiao S. A closed vitrification system enables a murine ovarian follicle bank for high-throughput ovotoxicity screening, which identifies the endocrine disrupting activity of microcystins. Reproductive Toxicology. Jan. 2020 Feb 1;93:118-130.
15. Wang Y, Liu M, Johnson SB, Yuan G, Arriba AK, Zubizarreta ME, Chatterjee S, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti P, Xiao S. Doxorubicin obliterates mouse ovarian reserve through both primordial follicle atresia and overactivation. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology (TAAP). 2019, Oct 15;381:114714.
16. Andersen CL, Liu M, Wang Z, Ye X*, Xiao S*. Chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin alters uterine gene expression in response to estrogen in ovariectomized CD-1 adult mice. Biology of Reproduction (BOR). 2019 Apr 1; 100(4):869-871. (*Co-corresponding author)
17. Wang Y, Chen H, Ju K, Kopp MF, Johnson SB, Farrell KK, Yuan G, Ataman LM, Zheng W, Woodruff TK, Xiao S. Female oncofertility attitude and knowledge: a survey of reproductive health professionals in Shanghai, China. Future Oncology. 2019 Feb;15(4):371-379.
18. Ju K, Kopp M, Wang Y, Yuan G, Zheng W, Ataman LM, Woodruff TK, Chen Q, Xiao S. A Survey Study of Attitude and Knowledge Regarding Female Fertility Preservation Among Reproductive Health Professionals in Fujian, China. Journal of Adolescent Young Adult Oncology. 2019 Feb;8(1):67-73.
19. Wang Y, Liu M, Zhang, J, Liu Y, Kopp M, Zheng W, Xiao S. Multidrug resistance protein 1 deficiency promotes doxorubicin-induced ovarian toxicity in female mice. Toxicological Sciences. 2018 May 1;163(1):279-292 (Cover image).

The full publication list is available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=shuo+xiao