Xiao Wang named 2020 Searle Scholar
Wang was awarded for her work in visualizing and understanding RNA modifications in brain function by in situ sequencing.
Xiao Wang, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Core Member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has been named one of fifteen researchers to be named a 2020 Searle Scholar. The Searle Scholars Program supports high risk, high reward research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. Wang, who joined the Department of Chemistry faculty in 2019, was recognized for her work in visualizing and understanding RNA modifications in brain function by in situ sequencing.
“These fifteen young chemists and biomedical scientists, who were selected by our Scientific Advisory Board in a highly competitive process, will pursue bold programs that will change the directions of their respective fields,” remarked Milan Mrksich, Scientific Director for the Searle Scholars Program.
These programs are exciting both for the fundamental insights they will reveal, and for the potential they have to improve health. “At a time when our world is facing an unprecedented challenge with the COVID pandemic, we are humbled by the trust that the public and government has placed in science to develop the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that will return our lives to normal. Indeed, we are proud of the many ways our past and present Scholars are leading this effort and are serving society in profound ways,” Mrksich added.
The Wang Group is developing and applying the state-of-the-art tools of chemistry, biophysics and genomics to map the brain from molecules to systems. In specific, with in situ sequencing of nucleic acids as the core approach, Wang aims to develop high-resolution and highly-multiplexed molecular imaging methods across multiple scales toward understanding the physical and chemical basis of brain wiring and function.
