Xiaoting Wu

After completing my B.Sc. and M.Sc. at the University of Heidelberg, Xiaoting Wu trained as a PhD student with Dr. David Rubinsztein at the University of Cambridge, where she explored the role of autophagy in neurodevelopment. Next, Wu pursued postdoctoral study with Dr. Robert Malenka at Stanford University, where she investigated synaptic plasticity in learning and memory. Her work demonstrated the neural plasticity mechanisms critical for social memory formation (Wu, et al., Nature, 2021). In 2022, Xiaoting established her independent laboratory at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she currently holds an Associate Professor position in the Department of Neuroscience. Research directions in Wu’s lab are focused on the neural mechanisms underlying social cognitive processes such as social valence assignment, social representation and social information processing. A major question of inquiry is neuromodulation in social cognition, where her laboratory has identified critical mechanisms underlying social valence (Zorab et al., Nature, 2025). Wu’s work has been recognized by several awards including the NIH Pathway to Independence award, the NIMH BRAINS R01, and the NARSAD Young Investigator award. Currently, they’re extending the studies on social valence as well as investigating interactions between social cognitive and motivational circuits, which shape emotional associations over time. Findings could critically aid into the development of treatments for social cognitive deficits in common mental health disorders.