Jing-Wei Xiong, Ph.D.

Professor and Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, China

Professor and Associate Director, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Nanchang University, China

Professor, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, China

Professor (Emeritus), Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China

Education

 1981-1985 B.S. of Biology, Jiangxi University (Nanchang University), Nanchang, China.

 1985-1988 M.S. of Zoology on Embryology, Jiangxi University, Nanchang, China.

 1988-1991 Ph.D. of Cell Biology on mitochondrial bioenergetics with Prof. Shu-Sen Liu, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Professional Experiences

 1992-1994 Visiting Scientist, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.

 1994-1999 Postdoctoral fellow on mouse developmental genetics with Prof. Heidi Stuhlmann, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA.

 1999-2002 Postdoctoral fellow on zebrafish developmental genetics with Prof. Mark C Fishman, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

 2002-2005 Instructor of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

 2005-2008 Assistant Professor and Lab Head, Department of Medicine/Nephrology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

 2008-2016 Principal Investigator, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.

 2012-2025 Principle Investigator, State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University.

 2016-2022 Principal Investigator (tenured), Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, China.

 2022-2025 Professor (with tenure), Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.

 2023- Professor and Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, China.

 2023- Professor and Associate Director, Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Nanchang University, China.

 2023- Professor, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, China.

 2025- Professor (Emeritus), Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Research Interests

Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms governing cardiac development and regeneration that may lead to translational applications for human heart disease. The key research findings include, 1) discovered a small-molecule cocktail (5SM) capable of stimulating mammalian cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration; 2) discovered several essential genes during cardiac regeneration, such as Npas4l, Dusp6, and Brg1; 3) Established some earliest CRISPR-induced zebrafish and rat mutants. Current researches address how genes or small molecules promote terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes to re-enter the cell cycle, as well as explore their translational roles in promoting cardiac regeneration in large animals and humans.

Editorial Board Members

Review Editor of Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Editorial Board Member of Open Biology

Vice Editor-in-Chief of Cell Regeneration

Vice Editor-in-Chief of Genetics

Selected Publications (past 10 years; * corresponding author)

1. Yuanyuan Chen#, Lixia Zheng#, Connie Xiong, Zihao Wang, Xiaojun Zhu, Ye-Guang Chen, and Jing-Wei Xiong*. (2026). Small-molecule cocktail 5SM induces heart regeneration by upregulating TGFβ/BMP signaling. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 215:20–35.

2. ShihChing Chiu, Qinchao Zhou, Chenglu Xiao, Linlu Bai, Xiaojun Zhu*, Wanqiu Ding*, and Jing-Wei Xiong*. (2026). Glial betaPix is essential for blood vessel development in the zebrafish brain. eLife, 14: RP106665.

3. Hou JJ#, Song YB#, Xiao CL#, Sun Y, Shen J, Ma X, Zhou Q, Chiu SC, Xu Y, Wang F, Huang Y, Chen YG, Zhu X*, Wang J*, and Jing-Wei Xiong*. (2025). Cloche/Npas4l is a pro-regenerative platelet factor during zebrafish heart regeneration. Developmental Cell, 60:2897–2914.

4. Zongwang Zhang, Yang Chen, Lixia Zheng, Jianyong Du, Xiaojun Zhu*, Jing-Wei Xiong*. (2023). Dusp6 inhibitor BCI improves cardiac repair by fine-tuning macrophage differentiation and inflammation. Disease Models & Mechanisms, 16: dmm049662.

5. Xiao CL#, Hou JJ#, Song YB, Wang F, Zheng JY, Wang J, Luo LF, Wan-Qiu Ding, Zhu X*, and Xiong JW*. (2023). Endothelial Brg1 negatively regulates Notch signaling during zebrafish heart regeneration. npj Regenerative Medicine, 8(1):21.

6. Du J#, Zheng L#, Gao P, Yang H, Yang WJ, Guo F, Liang R, Feng M, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Bai L, Bu Y, Xing S, Zheng W, Wang X, Quan L, Hu XL, Wu H, Chen Z, Chen LY, Wei K, Zhang Z, Zhu X, Zhang XL, Tu Q, Zhao SM*, Lei X*, and Xiong JW*. (2022). A small-molecule cocktail promotes mammalian cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration. Cell Stem Cell, 29:545–558.

7. Pang MJ#, Bai L#, Zong W#, Wang X, Bu Y, Xiong C, Zheng J, Li J, Gao W, Feng Z, Chen LY, Zhang J, Cheng H, Zhu X*, and Xiong JW*. (2020). Light-Sheet Fluorescence Imaging Charts the Gastrula Origin of Vascular Endothelial Cells in Early Zebrafish Embryos. Cell Discovery, 6:74.

8. Lei L#, Yan SY#, Yang R, Chen JY, Li Y, Bu Y, Chang N, Zhou Q, Zhu X, Li CY*, and Xiong JW*. (2017). Spliceosomal Protein Eftud2 Mutation Leads to p53-dependent Apoptosis in Neuronal Progenitors in Zebrafish. Nucleic Acids Research, 45(6):3422–3436.

9. Xiao CL#, Gao L#, Hou Y, Xu C, Chang N, Wang F, Hu K, He A, Luo Y, Wang J, Peng JR, Tang F, Zhu X*, and Xiong JW*. (2016). Chromatin Remodeling Factor Brg1 Regulates Myocardial Proliferation and Regeneration in Zebrafish. Nature Communications, 7:13787.

10. Cheng F, Miao L, Wu Q, Gong X, Xiong JW*, and Zhang J*. (2016). Vinculin b deficiency causes epicardial hyperplasia and coronary vessel disorganization in zebrafish. Development, 143(19):3522–3531.