Johns Hopkins University · BiologyMao Neurotoxicity Lab
Xiaobo Mao · Baltimore, Maryland
Research Focus
Dr. Xiaobo Mao's lab at Johns Hopkins University investigates how environmental pollutants, specifically air pollution, may contribute to the development of dementia, including Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. The lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms through which these pollutants affect the brain and lead to cognitive decline. They explore the role of proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment strategies.
air pollutionLewy Body DementiaAlzheimer's Diseasealpha-synucleinpathological tau
Research Aims
5AIM 01Determine the association between air pollution and dementia risk.
AIM 02Investigate the properties of alpha-synuclein strains in Parkinson's disease.
AIM 03Explore the mechanisms of tau transmission in Alzheimer's disease.
AIM 04Establish a mouse model of Lewy Body Dementia induced by air pollutants.
AIM 05Identify biomarkers for cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureanimal modelshistologyimmunohistochemistryCRISPRbiochemical assaysepidemiological analysismicroscopyflow cytometryRNA sequencing
Output against the department
Publications140top 49% of dept.506th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.5ktop 49% of dept.506th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.