People
Principal Investigator
Xin Tang, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Xin is Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He received his Ph.D. in neurobiology from Pennsylvania State University, and completed his postdoctoral training with Drs. Rudolf Jaenisch and Mriganka Sur at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/MIT. Xin’s scientific interest has been focused on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of pediatric brain disorders in order to ultimately develop therapeutics that can be translated to the clinic to improve patient care.
He received the Bridge to Independence Career Transition Award from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, served as chief editor of the book Neuronal Chloride Transporters in Health and Disease, and authored Genome Editing: Applications for Disease Modeling and Cell Therapy. In his spare time, Xin likes to enjoy the abundance of Boston with his wife, and watch his children grow.
Lab Members
Yuqin Yin, M.D., Ph.D.
Principle Associate
Yuqin has been working with Dr. Larry Benowitz on CNS, particular on optic nerve regeneration for more than 20 years. She has led many studies in the past, including discovery of intraocular inflammation inducing optic nerve regeneration and isolation of inflammatory cell-derived novel growth factors. In recent years, she studied the transcriptional regulation of CNS regeneration and the regenerative subtypes of retinal ganglion cells in responding to different treatment. Yuqin is also interested in combining CNS regeneration strategy into the treatment of brain diseases.
Katharina Sarnow
Postdoctoral Fewllow
Katharina completed her B. Sc. Biology in 2014 (Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany) and her M. Sc. Molecular Biology in 2017 (University of Technology, Dresden, Germany). She is going to graduate with a PhD from the University of Bergen, Norway in November 2022. Her projects during her PhD were focused on tumor cell invasion and treatment resistance in glioblastoma progression in 3D organoid models and CRISPR-edited tumor cells.
In the Tang Lab, Katharina works on utilizing the interaction between microglia and tumor cells in organoid models to reduce the tumor cell invasion and growth.
In her time off, Katharina likes working out, good food, reading, and exploring new hobbies and places.
Arunesh Saras
Staff Scientist
Arunesh Saras is a Staff Scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. His major research interest is in translational aspects of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and ALS. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from Ruhr University Bochum. His PhD project involved the identification of histamine–gated chloride channels in vertebrates and modulation of heteromultimeric GABA(A) receptors by histamine.
During his postdoctoral training at MEEI/HMS he established tandem affinity purification (TAP– tag) technique in zebrafish and identified interacting partners of elipsa gene involved in retinal neurodegeneration. At University of California, Berkeley with Dr. Marck Tanouye he led several epilepsy related research projects, including the discovery of cacophony, voltage–gated presynaptic Ca2+ channel, as one of the strongest seizure–suppressors in Drosophila. Moreover, he discovered the unusual role of cAMP in the suppression of seizures due to high temperature in Drosophila. Recently, he was a co–discoverer to identify Fezf functions as a transcriptional repressor to direct layer–specific synaptic connectivity in the fly visual system.
Outside the lab Arunesh enjoys playing pickle ball, chess, writing stories and poems.
Feng Xue
Postdocoral Fellow
Feng has over six years of experience in electrophysiological research, beginning in 2018. He developed a keen interest in electrophysiology during his Master of Engineering studies at the University of Sydney, where he simultaneously worked as a summer scholarship student followed by an internship in Boris Martinac’s lab at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia, studying mechanosensitive ion channels.
Feng pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Copenhagen, focusing on acid-sensing ion channel-mediated protein-protein interactions (PPI) in Stephan Pless’s lab. During his doctoral studies, he also spent time as a visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Cambridge in Taufiq Rahman’s lab, where he employed computational biology to explore the pharmacology of voltage-gated sodium ion channels.
Currently, in Xin Tang’s lab, Feng‘s research centres on K+-Cl- co-transporter 2 (KCC2) mediated PPI and understanding the physiological roles of these interactions.
Madeline Moore
Research Assistant
Madeline is from Vancouver, Canada and recently graduated from Utah Valley University with her degree in Biology. She is very passionate about epilepsy research, and understanding gene expression abnormalities, how they manifest into neurological disorders and contributing to promising interventions to improve the quality of life for patients. Madeline’s goal is to contribute to research that betters the lives of individuals suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders and she recently published her work on the “effects of valproate on seizure-like activity in Drosophila melanogaster with a knockdown of Ube3a in different neuronal populations as a model of Angelman Syndrome.” Madeline is excited to contribute to the bench-to bedside approach of epileptic research, and the KCC2 mechanistic view on seizure suppression at Boston Children’s Hospital. In her free time Madeline enjoys running, playing soccer, reading, cooking new foods, hiking, and exploring Boston.
Komila Rasuleva
Research Assistant
Komila is a dedicated Research Assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she is currently involved in a pioneering Optic Nerve Regeneration project. With a robust background in biomedical research, Komila brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her current role.
She completed her Master’s degree with a focus on Pancreatic Cancer, where she developed innovative detection methods and explored potential treatments.
Outside the lab, Komila enjoys traveling, shopping, and exploring new cuisines, bringing a well-rounded perspective to her endeavors.
Shuqi Lin
Research Assistant
Shuqi is from Shrewsbury Massachusetts. He is currently a senior at Northeastern University majoring in biochemistry with a minor in math. He is interested in how animal surgeries can be used to develop clinical therapies. For fun, he enjoys playing piano, going to the gym, and watching football.
Qurbonali Qurbonov
Student Intern
I’m Qurbonali. I have always been drawn to the complexities of the brain, prompting me to study its molecular and cellular intricacies. I’m an intern in the Neurosurgery department at Boston Children’s Hospital, focusing on neurodevelopmental disorders, epilepsy, and tumors. Simultaneously, I’m studying Medical and Molecular Biology at MCPHS University.
Beyond academia, I’m a candidate for a Master of Sport in Judo and enjoy table tennis for both physical and mental agility. Having lived in multiple countries, I’m fluent in Tajik, Turkish, Russian, and English. My travels have shaped me, enriching my life with diverse experiences and languages. Excited for what’s next!
Franklin Caguana
Student intern
Franklin is from Massachusetts, originally from the Providence of Cañar, Ecuador. He will be graduating from Tufts University in 2026 with a degree in Biochemistry. He is excited to delve deeper into gene expression and its impact on Neurodevelopment disorders under Dr. Xin Tang in the Tang Laboratory.
For fun, he enjoys exploring Boston with friends, Graphic design, and watching Netflix Shows/movies
Kathleen He
Student Intern
Kathleen is from Boston, Massachusetts and is currently a sophomore in the Honors College at UMass Amherst majoring in biochemistry with a math double major. She’s excited to learn more about neurodegenerative disorders, including epilepsy, and optic nerve regeneration. In her free time, Kathleen enjoys doing puzzles, rock climbing, playing the piano, listening to music, and exploring the city.
Former trainees
| Name | Position before joining | Position after joining |
| Ellie Shahbo | Undergraduate student at Harvard College | Medical student at Harvard Medical School |
| Kate Cruite | Undergraduate student at Northeastern University | Graduate student at NYU |
| Emma Majercak | Undergraduate student at MIT | Stem Cell Biology Research Associate II at Alltrna |
| Daniela Ronga | Undergraduate student at Boston College | Graduate student at Harvard Business School |
| Qian Ren | Graduate student at McGill University | Postdoctoral fellow at University of Pennsylvania |
| Eren Shin | Undergraduate student at MIT | Research assistant at MGH |
| Dana Haig | Undergraduate student at MIT | Graduate student at MIT |
| Liz Murray | Undergraduate student at Wellsley College | Research assistant, UCSF |
| Matias Enriquez | Undergraduate student at Williams College | MPhil student, Cambridge, UK |
| Flor Garza Romero | Undergraduate student at MIT | Clinical research coordinator at UCSF |
Dr. Xin Tang’s Diversity and Mentorship Statement
I am firmly committed to proactively supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion at Boston Children’s Hospital and the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center. My personal experience as an immigrant scientist, studying and working in the US gave me first-hand knowledge of the importance of these values. I feel very fortunate to have had the educational and career support I’ve received, and I am dedicated to providing this kind of support to the next generation of researchers. It’s my cherished belief that scientific research aiming to understand universal truths is, by definition, a global collaboration, one providing a fair, merit-based, safe and collegial forum through which everyone can communicate and contribute.
My lab and I will strive to ensure that every talented individual, regardless of gender, ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality, is given equal opportunities to excel. Throughout my career, I have been deeply engaged in teaching and mentoring students and young scientists from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented minorities, at different stages of their careers. If you become a member of our research team, your scientific progress and career development are my priority.
Join Us
Join our Research Team to Understand Brain Function and Dysfunction: from Model to Mechanism to Medicine
The Tang Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital is seeking highly motivated and talented postdoctoral fellows in the areas of molecular/cell neuroscience, electrophysiology, or cancer biology to join our team.