Xinping Zhao

Xinping Zhao has worked in the life sciences field for over 25 years. Xinping began their career in 1992 as a Research Group Leader and Postdoctoral Associate at Texas A&M University. In 1994, they moved to the Department of Dermatology at The University of Michigan, where they were a Senior Fellow and Research Investigator. During this time, they directed positional cloning projects, discovered 10 novel human skin-specific genes, and was awarded a Dermik Laboratories Research Grant from the Dermatology Foundation. Xinping also published 7 scientific papers in Genomics and the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. In 1997, they became an Investigator and Project Director at The University of Michigan, where they spearheaded a large-scale DNA sequencing project for gene discovery and patented ATL1, a gene that causes hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). Xinping also created a neurological disease animal model and patented a mouse-model of HSP (spastin gene knock-out mice). In 2001, they co-founded CLAVIS, LLC. and in 2002, they became Vice President for R&D and Business Development at SEEFIT, LLC. and Assistant & Associate Professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. In 2014, they became a Senior Life Sciences Business Consultant. Most recently, in 2017, they became Chief Science Officer at ALSTEM, LLC., a leading biotech company specializing in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) biology, gene/genome editing, gene delivery, and stem cell therapy.

Xinping Zhao received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Michigan State University in 2001, with a focus in strategic management. Prior to that, they obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from The University of Georgia in 1992, specializing in molecular biology and genetics.