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
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.
Ellie Shahbo
Research Assistant
Ellie is from London, England and just recently graduated from Harvard with a degree in Neuroscience. She is very interested in the bench-to-bedside focus of the Tang laboratory and is excited to contribute to the lab’s gene and cell engineering efforts involved with multiple projects. During her spare time, Ellie enjoys exploring Boston with her friends, playing field hockey, and reading
Jane Kirby
Research Assistant
Jane is from the Greater Boston Area and graduated from Smith College in 2020 with a degree in Biochemistry. Her undergraduate research focused on transcriptional alterations during the E. coli stress response, and how gut microbiome composition alters T cell fate. After graduating from Smith, Jane discovered her passion for neuroscience while at Dana Farber Cancer Institute studying aberrant induction of neuronal senescence as a novel avenue of Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis.
Having researched aging cells for over two years, Jane is excited to study neurodevelopment under Dr. Yuqin Yin in the Tang laboratory. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exercising and learning bass guitar.
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.
Alexandra Newman
Research Assistant
Alex graduated from University of Washington in Seattle in 2022 with a degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Her primary focus is patch clamp electrophysiology and has previously studied under Dr. Hannan in the Hensch Lab, focusing on GABA tonic inhibition in the visual cortex. She is excited to apply her electrophysiology skills for the Xin Tang Lab to study epilepsy and other brain disorders. In her free time she enjoys art, rock climbing, and playing with her cats.
Shuqi Lin
Co-ed student
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!
Former trainees
| Name | Position before joining | Position after joining |
| 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.