Our Research
Our lab studies how animals detect sensory cues such as touch, light, chemicals and temperature, how neural circuits and synapses process sensory information to produce behavioral output, and how genes and drugs regulate these processes.
We are also interested in understanding how the sensory environment modulates 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
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.
February 28, 2018
Brain-gut communication in worms demonstrates how organs can work together to regulate lifespan
Cross-talk between tissues actively coordinates aging in a common model organism.
November 8, 2017
Tiny worms may offer new clues about why it’s so hard to quit smoking
A previously dismissed genetic mechanism may contribute to nicotine dependence.
