Xue Han, PhD
Professor
Boston University College of Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

PhD, University of Wisconsin Madison
BS, Beijing University



Dr. Han received a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her Postdoctoral training with Dr. Bob Desimone at MIT, and Drs. Tirin Moore and Richard Tsien at Stanford University. Over the past decade, Dr. Han has trained 9 Ph.D. students, 5 postdoctoral fellows, and mentored over 70 undergraduate students for lab research. More than half of them are women or underrepresented minorities. She is currently mentoring 13 Ph.D. students, including one underrepresented minority and 8 women. She was awarded the Mentor of The Year award by Boston University Graduate Women in Science and Engineering. Dr. Han holds two granted patents with more pending and authored over 70 peer reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. She and her students and postdoctoral trainees have given over 100 oral presentations. She has been recognized by many distinguished awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the NIH New Innovator Award, the Pew Scholarship, the DARPA Young Faculty Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and the Helen Hay Whitney Fellowship.

Dr. Xue Han’s seminal contribution to the field of neuroengineering centers on the invention and application of high impact molecular neurotechnologies to probe brain dynamics. She played an instrumental role in the development of optogenetic silencing molecules archaerhodopsins and halorhodopsins, enabling temporal precise silencing of specific neurons, some of the most widely used molecular tools in neuroscience, in use by thousands of research groups. Her contribution to optogenetics was crucial in establishing the new field of optogenetics, a field now being widely regarded as having revolutionized neuroscience research. In addition to her breakthrough discovery of the now widely used optogenetic molecular reagents, Dr. Han developed many other innovative technologies, including novel voltage imaging tools, cell type specific gene therapy viral vectors, drug releasing DNA origamis and mucosal based blood brain barrier penetrating strategies. Parallel to her neurotechnology innovation effort, Dr. Han has discovered key insights on the neural network mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Her current research focuses on inventing novel neurotechnologies and applying innovative approaches to probe the cellular and network mechanisms of brain disorders and brain stimulation therapies, with a goal of developing clinical biomarkers and a new generation of neuromodulation therapeutics.

Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics




Cellular and network mechanisms of epilepsy and neuromodulation
06/01/2025 - 05/31/2030 (Multi-PI)
PI: Xue Han, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
1R01NS139524-01A1

Mechanisms of Noninvasive Ultrasonic Neuromodulation of Parkinsonian Neural Circuits
09/01/2025 - 08/31/2028 (Key Person / Mentor)
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
1F31NS143166-01

Optical voltage imaging analysis of the cellular and network mechanisms of deep brain stimulation
09/01/2025 - 08/31/2027 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
4R01NS129520-02

Voltage imaging analysis of striatal network dynamics related to voluntary movement and Parkinsons disease
04/01/2020 - 03/31/2026 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
3R01NS115797-05S1

Multidimensional Optimization of Voltage Indicators for In Vivo Neural Activity Imaging
03/01/2020 - 01/31/2026 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
1R01MH122971-05A1

Collaborative Research: Dynamic interactions of individual neurons in supporting hippocampal network oscillations during behavior
10/01/2020 - 09/30/2025 (PI)
National Science Foundation
IOS-2002971

Designing low-cost, customizable high-density probes for acute and chronic neural recordings in rodents
09/01/2023 - 08/31/2025 (Subcontract PI)
Neural Dynamics Technologies NIH NIMH
6R44MH118155-04

Optical voltage imaging analysis of the cellular and network mechanisms of deep brain stimulation
09/21/2022 - 08/31/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
1RF1NS129520-01

Targeting pathologic spike-ripples to isolate and disrupt epileptic dynamics
01/01/2021 - 06/30/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Xue Han, PhD
The General Hospital Corporation d/b/a Massachusetts General Hospital NIH NINDS
5R01NS119483-05

CIF: Medium: Discovering Changes in Networks: Fundamental Limits, Efficient Algorithms, and Large-Scale Neuroscience
07/01/2020 - 06/30/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Xue Han, PhD
National Science Foundation
CCF-1955981

Showing 10 of 42 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2025 Cellular and network mechanisms of epilepsy and neuromodulation 1R01NS139524-01A1
2025 Optical Voltage Imaging Analysis of the Cellular and Network Mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation 4R01NS129520-02
2024 Voltage Imaging Analysis of Striatal Network Dynamics Related to Movement, Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation 3R01NS115797-05S1
2024 Voltage Imaging Analysis of Striatal Network Dynamics Related to Movement, Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation 5R01NS115797-05
2024 Multidimensional Optimization of Voltage Indicators for In Vivo Neural Activity Imaging 5R01MH122971-05
2023 Voltage Imaging Analysis of Striatal Network Dynamics Related to Movement, Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation 5R01NS115797-04
2023 Voltage Imaging Analysis of Striatal Network Dynamics Related to Movement, Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation 3R01NS115797-04S1
2023 Multidimensional Optimization of Voltage Indicators for In Vivo Neural Activity Imaging 5R01MH122971-04
2022 Optical voltage imaging analysis of the cellular and network mechanisms of deep brain stimulation 1RF1NS129520-01
2022 Voltage imaging analysis of striatal network dynamics related to movement, Parkinson's disease and deep brain stimulation 5R01NS115797-03
Showing 10 of 40 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Bortz E, San Antonio E, Sherman J, Tseng HA, Raiff L, Han X. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation modulates neuronal membrane potentials across broad timescales in the awake mammalian brain. Brain Stimul. 2025; 18(6):1726-1740. PMID: 40945602; PMCID: PMC12768310; DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2025.09.004;
     
  2. Ravasio CR, Kondabolu K, Zhou S, Lowet E, San Antonio E, Mount RA, Bhogal SK, Han X. Kilohertz electrical stimulation evokes robust cellular responses like conventional frequencies but distinct population dynamics. Commun Biol. 2025 Jan 07; 8(1):19. PMID: 39775118; PMCID: PMC11706954; DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-07447-0;
     
  3. Sridhar S, Lowet E, Gritton HJ, Freire J, Zhou C, Liang F, Han X. Beta-frequency sensory stimulation enhances gait rhythmicity through strengthened coupling between striatal networks and stepping movement. Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 27; 15(1):8336. PMID: 39333151; PMCID: PMC11437063; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52664-0;
     
  4. Lowet E, Sheehan DJ, Chialva U, De Oliveira Pena R, Mount RA, Xiao S, Zhou SL, Tseng HA, Gritton H, Shroff S, Kondabolu K, Cheung C, Wang Y, Piatkevich KD, Boyden ES, Mertz J, Hasselmo ME, Rotstein HG, Han X. Theta and gamma rhythmic coding through two spike output modes in the hippocampus during spatial navigation. Cell Rep. 2023 Aug 29; 42(8):112906.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37540599; PMCID: PMC10530698; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112906;
     
  5. Shroff SN, Lowet E, Sridhar S, Gritton HJ, Abumuaileq M, Tseng HA, Cheung C, Zhou SL, Kondabolu K, Han X. Striatal cholinergic interneuron membrane voltage tracks locomotor rhythms in mice. Nat Commun. 2023 Jun 26; 14(1):3802. PMID: 37365189; PMCID: PMC10293266; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39497-z;
     
  6. Lowet E, Kondabolu K, Zhou S, Mount RA, Wang Y, Ravasio CR, Han X. Deep brain stimulation creates informational lesion through membrane depolarization in mouse hippocampus. Nat Commun. 2022 Dec 13; 13(1):7709. PMID: 36513664
     
  7. Shi W, Zemel D, Sridhar S, Mount RA, Richardson RM, Eden UT, Han X, Kramer MA, Chu CJ. Spike ripples in striatum correlate with seizure risk in two mouse models. Epilepsy Behav Rep. 2022; 18:100529. PMID: 35274094; PMCID: PMC8902602; DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2022.100529;
     
  8. Zemel D, Gritton H, Cheung C, Shankar S, Kramer M, Han X. Dopamine depletion selectively disrupts interactions between striatal neuron subtypes and LFP oscillations. Cell Rep. 2022 01 18; 38(3):110265. PMID: 35045299; PMCID: PMC8820590; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110265;
     
  9. Xiao S, Lowet E, Gritton HJ, Fabris P, Wang Y, Sherman J, Mount RA, Tseng HA, Man HY, Straub C, Piatkevich KD, Boyden ES, Mertz J, Han X. Large-scale voltage imaging in behaving mice using targeted illumination. iScience. 2021 Nov 19; 24(11):103263.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34761183; PMCID: PMC8567393; DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103263;
     
  10. Tseng HA, Sherman J, Bortz E, Mohammed A, Gritton HJ, Bensussen S, Tang RP, Zemel D, Szabo T, Han X. Region-specific effects of ultrasound on individual neurons in the awake mammalian brain. iScience. 2021 Sep 24; 24(9):102955. PMID: 34458703; PMCID: PMC8379692; DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102955;
     
Showing 10 of 73 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 73 publications over 22 distinct years, with a maximum of 9 publications in 2018

YearPublications
20041
20051
20061
20071
20081
20093
20102
20112
20124
20133
20145
20156
20166
20173
20189
20194
20207
20216
20223
20232
20241
20252

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2022 Elected Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
2015 DARPA Young Investigator Award
2014 Boston University GWISE, Mentor of the Year Award
2013 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
2012-2018 NIH New Innovator Award
2012-2016 Pew Scholar Award
2010-2011 Boston University Photonic Center Young Investigator Award
2007-2008 MIT McGovern Institute Neurotechnology Award
2005 UW-Madison Jerzy Rose Neuroscience Thesis Award
2002 UW-Madison Vilas Travel Award
2000-2001 UW-Madison Cremer Fellowship
Contact for Mentoring:

44 Cummington St
Boston MA 02215
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