Xin-Min Li, MD, PhD, FRCPP, FCAHS

Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Psychiatry Dept
Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Faculty Affairs Office

Contact

Professor, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Psychiatry Dept
Email
xinmin@ualberta.ca

Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry - Faculty Affairs Office
Email
xinmin@ualberta.ca

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

mental health depression schizophrenia white matter neurostimulation


About

I serve as a Professor and hold the AHS Chair in Mental Health Research within the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, at the University of Alberta. Beginning my affiliation with the University of Alberta in 2013, I made the transition from my prior position as the Director of the International Medical Graduate Program and as a clinician-researcher linked to the Institute of Advanced Medicine at the University of Manitoba. My academic pursuits encompass the attainment of both an MD and a PhD in Physiology from Norman Bethune University (now Jilin University) in China.



Research

In the realm of biological psychiatry and neuropharmacology, I function as a clinician scientist at the forefront of propelling the theory of white matter dysfunction and neurodegeneration within psychiatric disorders.

Within my laboratory, we approach mental health disorders through the lens of neurodegenerative processes. Our investigation revolves around determining whether impairments in central white matter are capable of eliciting the behavioral symptoms and brain pathology observed in experimental animal models of schizophrenia or depression.

Our research extends to exploring the potential of antipsychotics and antidepressants in averting white matter damage or expediting recovery. This exploration not only unveils novel roles for these treatments but also unveils fresh avenues for future drug development.

Taking the lab's trajectory in a new direction, we are now delving into the realm of neurostimulation as a prospective treatment for depression. By employing a mouse model of depression, we dissect the impacts of interventions like ultrasound or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on both brain physiology and behavior.

Featured Publications

Liu Y.S., Kiyang L., Hayward J., Zhang Y., Metes D., Wang M., Svenson L.W., Talarico F., Chue P., Li X.M., Greiner R., Greenshaw A.J., Cao B.

CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE. 2022 July; IN PRESS 10.1177/07067437221114094


Obuobi-Donkor G., Eboreime E., Bond J., Phung N., Eyben S., Hayward J., Zhang Y., MacMaster F., Clelland S., Greiner R., Jones C., Cao B., Brémault-Phillips S., Wells K., Li X.M., Hilario C., Greenshaw A.J., Agyapong V.I.O.

JMIR Research Protocols. 2022 April; 11 (4):e30680 10.2196/30680


Wang H., Wang K., Xue Q., Peng M., Yin L., Gu X., Leng H., Lu J., Liu H., Wang D., Xiao J., Sun Z., Li N., Dong K., Zhang Q., Zhan S., Fan C., Min B., Zhou A., Xie Y., Song H., Ye J., Liu A., Gao R., Huang L., Jiao L., Song Y., Dong H., Tian Z., Si T., Zhang X., Li X., Kamiya A., Cosci F., Gao K., Wang Y.

Brain. 2022 March; 145 (1):83-91 10.1093/brain/awab252


Cao B., Liu Y.S., Selvitella A., Librenza-Garcia D., Passos I.C., Sawalha J., Ballester P., Chen J., Dong S., Wang F., Kapczinski F., Dursun S.M., Li X.M., Greiner R., Greenshaw A.

Scientific Reports. 2021 October; 11 (1) 10.1038/s41598-021-99534-z


Sun Z.Y., Gu L.H., Ma D.l., Wang M.Y., Yang C.C., Zhang L., Li X.M., Zhang J.W., Li L.

BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN. 2021 September; 174 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.06.007


Wang Z., Baharani A., Wei Z., Truong D., Bi X., Wang F., Li X.M., Verge V.M.K., Zhang Y.

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 2021 August; 48 (8):1090-1102 10.1111/1440-1681.13490


Guo H., Baker G., Hartle K., Fujiwara E., Wang J., Zhang Y., Xing J., Lyu H., Li X.M., Chen J.

Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering. 2021 May; 59 (5):1099-1110 10.1007/s11517-021-02351-9


Sawalha J., Cao L., Chen J., Selvitella A., Liu Y., Yang C., Li X., Zhang X., Sun J., Zhang Y., Zhao L., Cui L., Zhang Y., Sui J., Greiner R., Li X.m., Greenshaw A., Li T., Cao B.

JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2021 March; 282 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.046


Agyapong V.I.O., Shalaby R., Hrabok M., Vuong W., Noble J.M., Gusnowski A., Mrklas K., Li D., Snaterse M., Surood S., Cao B., Li X.M., Greiner R., Greenshaw A.J.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 February; 18 (4):1-13 10.3390/ijerph18042157