Our Research
Our lab studies sensory biology, including mechanosensation, thermosensation, chemosensation, photosensation and nociception. We focus on:
- Sensory transduction: Identifying novel sensory receptors and channels that sense temperature, touch, chemicals and light, and investigating how they regulate sensory signaling and behavior
- Sensory processing: Identifying neural circuits and synaptic mechanisms underlying sensory behavior and drug dependence
- Sensory regulation of aging and longevity
Shawn Xu, Ph.D.
Bernard W. Agranoff Collegiate Professor in the Life Sciences
Research Professor, U-M Life Sciences institute
Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, U-M Medical School
News
September 22, 2021
Earless worms ‘listen’ through their skin
A common model species can sense sound waves without ears, providing a new tool for studying auditory sensation.
August 29, 2019
This protein is how creatures sense cold, researchers discover — and it’s found in organisms ranging from tiny worms to humans
Researchers have identified the first known cold-sensing protein to respond to extreme cold.
January 2, 2019
Living a stronger and longer life — What U-M scientists are learning from worms
Research from the LSI has uncovered a cause of declining motor function and increase frailty in tiny aging worms — and a way to slow it down.
