Dr. Xia earned his PhD from Baylor College of Medicine in the Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences program (now Cancer & Cell Biology) in 2017. After a brief postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, he received a prestigious K99/R00 award and began his independent career at Creighton University in August 2022. He recently relocated his laboratory to Texas A&M University Health Science Center’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology.
DNA Damageome & Genome Instability
The Xia Lab studies how endogenous processes and environmental exposures create DNA damage and drive genome instability. Our 2019 Cell paper introduced the concept of DNA damageome genes and laid the groundwork for systematic discovery. Current work focuses on expanding the DNA damageome network in the context of lung cancer and studying DNA damageome x environmental factor interactions.
Single-Cell Toxicogenomics
We use single-cell genomics to map how toxicants, such as arsenic, exacerbate toxicity in specific genetic backgrounds. Our research demonstrates that even low-dose exposure can cause substantial genotoxicity, potentially leading to cancer and other diseases.
Surgical Cancer Genomics: Soft Tissue Sarcoma & Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Through close partnerships with surgeons, the Xia Lab maintains a large collection of fresh sarcoma specimens. We profile tumors across space and time to chart heterogeneity, evolution, and microenvironmental interactions with an eye toward actionable targets. Additionally, we discovered unique sex chromosome alterations in esophageal adenocarcinoma and Barrett’s esophagus using single-cell DNA copy number sequencing.
Lung Cancer Genomics & Genetic Epidemiology
We integrate tumor genomics with population-level data to understand susceptibility and outcomes in lung cancer. The lab participates in the Genetic Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Consortium to scale discovery and validation.
Contact
Dr. Xia Office: Room 720E/F Lab: Room 721 Institute of Biosciences and Technology Texas A&M University Health Science Center Email: timhuffman@tamu.edu
