Xianhua Piao, MD, PhD

Dr. Piao is a physician-scientist with a focus in both neonatology and developmental neuroscience. She received her PhD with Alan Bernstein from University of Toronto, before completing her Pediatric residency at NYU and Neonatology fellowship as well as a post-doctoral fellowship with Chris Walsh at Harvard Medical School. Working in neonatal intensive care unit and laboratory, Dr. Piao’s career follows the bedside-to-bench-to-bedside paradigm. Her research began by characterizing an autosomal recessive human brain malformation that she and her mentor Chris Walsh termed bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria (BFPP). Together, they discovered that germline loss-of-function mutations in the adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR) GPR56, also called ADGRG1, cause BFPP. Over time, this discovery transformed our understanding of polymicrogyria and yielded a molecular diagnostic. Following the thread of GPR56 biology also led to a vigorous bench research program. Dr. Piao’s research team has steadily uncovered a remarkable diversity of cell type- and ligand-specific functions of GPR56 during various stages of brain development and homeostasis, including cortical patterning, central nervous system myelin formation and repair, and synaptic refinement. In doing so, Dr. Piao undertook a pioneering role in deorphanizing aGPCRs and revealing mechanisms underlying aGPCR-mediated cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. This basic science also provides foundational knowledge for drug discoveries in targeting aGPCRs, the second largest human GPCR family. In January 2019, Dr. Piao was recruited from Harvard Medical School / Boston Children's Hospital to UCSF to direct the Newborn Brain Research Institute and assume the Benioff Professorship in Children’s Health. In her new role, Dr. Piao has built a collaborative and cohesive team that broadly addresses how early insults, such as maternal inflammation and hypoxic-ischemic injuries affect fetal and neonatal brain development.
Education
2020 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California, San Francisco
2005 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School
2002 - Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship, Harvard Medical School
1999 - Pediatric Residency, New York University
1996 - Medical Science, University of Toronto

  1. Jain S, Oltman S, Rogers E, Ryckman K, Petersen M, Baer RJ, Rand L, Piao X, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L. Assessing for prenatal risk factors associated with infant neurologic morbidity using a multivariate analysis. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association 2023. PMID: 37950045


  2. Jain S, Allen IE, Song D, Piao X. Cytokine responses to SARS-COV2 infection in mother-infant dyads: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in pediatrics 2023. PMID: 37915987


  3. Wang L, Pang K, Zhou L, Cebrián-Silla A, González-Granero S, Wang S, Bi Q, White ML, Ho B, Li J, Li T, Perez Y, Huang EJ, Winkler EA, Paredes MF, Kovner R, Sestan N, Pollen AA, Liu P, Li J, Piao X, García-Verdugo JM, Alvarez-Buylla A, Liu Z, Kriegstein AR. A cross-species proteomic map reveals neoteny of human synapse development. Nature 2023. PMID: 37704727


  4. Wilde C, Chaudhry PM, Luo R, Simon KU, Piao X, Liebscher I. Collagen VI Is a Gi-Biased Ligand of the Adhesion GPCR GPR126/ADGRG6. Cells 2023. PMID: 37296671


  5. Li T, Luo R, Schmidt R, D'Alessandro N, Kishore P, Zhu B, Yu D, Piao X. GPR56 S4 variant is required for microglia-mediated synaptic pruning. Glia 2022. PMID: 36336959


  6. Yu D, Li T, Delpech JC, Zhu B, Kishore P, Koshi T, Luo R, Pratt KJB, Popova G, Nowakowski TJ, Villeda SA, Piao X. Microglial GPR56 is the molecular target of maternal immune activation-induced parvalbumin-positive interneuron deficits. 2022. PMID: 35544642


  7. Hsiao CC, Kragten NAM, Piao X, Hamann J, van Gisbergen KPJM. The Inhibitory Receptor GPR56 (Adgrg1) Is Specifically Expressed by Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in Mice But Dispensable for Their Differentiation and Function In Vivo. 2021. PMID: 34685654


  8. Li T, Yu D, Oak HC, Zhu B, Wang L, Jiang X, Molday RS, Kriegstein A, Piao X. Phospholipid-flippase chaperone CDC50A is required for synapse maintenance by regulating phosphatidylserine exposure. The EMBO journal 2021. PMID: 34585770


  9. Popova G, Soliman SS, Kim CN, Keefe MG, Hennick KM, Jain S, Li T, Tejera D, Shin D, Chhun BB, McGinnis CS, Speir M, Gartner ZJ, Mehta SB, Haeussler M, Hengen KB, Ransohoff RR, Piao X, Nowakowski TJ. Human microglia states are conserved across experimental models and regulate neural stem cell responses in chimeric organoids. Cell stem cell 2021. PMID: 34536354


  10. Karasek D, Baer RJ, McLemore MR, Bell AJ, Blebu BE, Casey JA, Coleman-Phox K, Costello JM, Felder JN, Flowers E, Fuchs JD, Gomez AM, Karvonen K, Kuppermann M, Liang L, McKenzie-Sampson S, McCulloch CE, Oltman SP, Pantell MS, Piao X, Prather AA, Schmidt RJ, Scott KA, Spellen S, Stookey JD, Tesfalul M, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski LL. The association of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy with preterm birth: A retrospective cohort study in California. Volume 2. Lancet Regional Health. Americas 2021. PMID: 34642685


  11. Jain S, Baer RJ, McCulloch CE, Rogers E, Rand L, Jelliffe-Pawlowski L, Piao X. Association of Maternal Immune Activation during Pregnancy and Neurologic Outcomes in Offspring. The Journal of pediatrics 2021. PMID: 33965413


  12. Maglitto A, Mariani SA, de Pater E, Rodriguez-Seoane C, Vink CS, Piao X, Lukke ML, Dzierzak E. Unexpected redundancy of Gpr56 and Gpr97 during hematopoietic cell development and differentiation. Blood advances 2021. PMID: 33560396


  13. Yeung J, Adili R, Stringham EN, Luo R, Vizurraga A, Rosselli-Murai LK, Stoveken HM, Yu M, Piao X, Holinstat M, Tall GG. GPR56/ADGRG1 is a platelet collagen-responsive GPCR and hemostatic sensor of shear force. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2020. PMID: 33097663


  14. Chiou B, Gao C, Giera S, Folts CJ, Kishore P, Yu D, Oak HC, Jiang R, Piao X. Cell type-specific evaluation of ADGRG1/GPR56 function in developmental central nervous system myelination. Glia 2020. PMID: 32902916


  15. Li T, Chiou B, Gilman CK, Luo R, Koshi T, Yu D, Oak HC, Giera S, Johnson-Venkatesh E, Muthukumar AK, Stevens B, Umemori H, Piao X. A splicing isoform of GPR56 mediates microglial synaptic refinement via phosphatidylserine binding. The EMBO journal 2020. PMID: 32452062


  16. Zhu B, Luo R, Jin P, Li T, Oak HC, Giera S, Monk KR, Lak P, Shoichet BK, Piao X. GAIN domain-mediated cleavage is required for activation of G protein-coupled receptor 56 (GPR56) by its natural ligands and a small-molecule agonist. The Journal of biological chemistry 2019. PMID: 31628191


  17. Morgan RK, Anderson GR, Araç D, Aust G, Balenga N, Boucard A, Bridges JP, Engel FB, Formstone CJ, Glitsch MD, Gray RS, Hall RA, Hsiao CC, Kim HY, Knierim AB, Kusuluri DK, Leon K, Liebscher I, Piao X, Prömel S, Scholz N, Srivastava S, Thor D, Tolias KF, Ushkaryov YA, Vallon M, Van Meir EG, Vanhollebeke B, Wolfrum U, Wright KM, Monk KR, Mogha A. The expanding functional roles and signaling mechanisms of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2019. PMID: 31168816


  18. Chen R, Piao X, Xiao M, Wang F, Liu L. Long noncoding RNAs interact with mRNAs: A new perspective on the mechanism of premature brain injury. Neuroscience letters 2019. PMID: 31103728


  19. Cauley ES, Hamed A, Mohamed IN, Elseed M, Martinez S, Yahia A, Abozar F, Abubakr R, Koko M, Elsayed L, Piao X, Salih MA, Manzini MC. Overlap of polymicrogyria, hydrocephalus, and Joubert syndrome in a family with novel truncating mutations in ADGRG1/GPR56 and KIAA0556. Neurogenetics 2019. PMID: 30982090


  20. Folts CJ, Giera S, Li T, Piao X. Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptors as Drug Targets for Neurological Diseases. Trends in pharmacological sciences 2019. PMID: 30871735


  21. Hammond TR, Dufort C, Dissing-Olesen L, Giera S, Young A, Wysoker A, Walker AJ, Gergits F, Segel M, Nemesh J, Marsh SE, Saunders A, Macosko E, Ginhoux F, Chen J, Franklin RJM, Piao X, McCarroll SA, Stevens B. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of Microglia throughout the Mouse Lifespan and in the Injured Brain Reveals Complex Cell-State Changes. Immunity 2018. PMID: 30471926


  22. Olaniru OE, Pingitore A, Giera S, Piao X, Castañera González R, Jones PM, Persaud SJ. The adhesion receptor GPR56 is activated by extracellular matrix collagen III to improve ß-cell function. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 2018. PMID: 29855662


  23. Giera S, Luo R, Ying Y, Ackerman SD, Jeong SJ, Stoveken HM, Folts CJ, Welsh CA, Tall GG, Stevens B, Monk KR, Piao X. Microglial transglutaminase-2 drives myelination and myelin repair via GPR56/ADGRG1 in oligodendrocyte precursor cells. eLife 2018. PMID: 29809138


  24. Ackerman SD, Luo R, Poitelon Y, Mogha A, Harty BL, D'Rozario M, Sanchez NE, Lakkaraju AKK, Gamble P, Li J, Qu J, MacEwan MR, Ray WZ, Aguzzi A, Feltri ML, Piao X, Monk KR. GPR56/ADGRG1 regulates development and maintenance of peripheral myelin. The Journal of experimental medicine 2018. PMID: 29367382


  25. Moreno M, Pedrosa L, Paré L, Pineda E, Bejarano L, Martínez J, Balasubramaniyan V, Ezhilarasan R, Kallarackal N, Kim SH, Wang J, Audia A, Conroy S, Marin M, Ribalta T, Pujol T, Herreros A, Tortosa A, Mira H, Alonso MM, Gómez-Manzano C, Graus F, Sulman EP, Piao X, Nakano I, Prat A, Bhat KP, de la Iglesia N. GPR56/ADGRG1 Inhibits Mesenchymal Differentiation and Radioresistance in Glioblastoma. Cell reports 2017. PMID: 29166609


  26. Mehta P, Küspert M, Bale T, Brownstein CA, Towne MC, De Girolami U, Shi J, Beggs AH, Darras BT, Wegner M, Piao X, Agrawal PB. Novel mutation in CNTNAP1 results in congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy. Muscle & nerve 2017. PMID: 27668699


  27. Mehta P, Piao X. Adhesion G-protein coupled receptors and extracellular matrix proteins: Roles in myelination and glial cell development. Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists 2017. PMID: 27859941


  28. Mogha A, Harty BL, Carlin D, Joseph J, Sanchez NE, Suter U, Piao X, Cavalli V, Monk KR. Gpr126/Adgrg6 Has Schwann Cell Autonomous and Nonautonomous Functions in Peripheral Nerve Injury and Repair. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2016. PMID: 27927955


  29. Salzman GS, Ackerman SD, Ding C, Koide A, Leon K, Luo R, Stoveken HM, Fernandez CG, Tall GG, Piao X, Monk KR, Koide S, Araç D. Structural Basis for Regulation of GPR56/ADGRG1 by Its Alternatively Spliced Extracellular Domains. Neuron 2016. PMID: 27657451


  30. Langenhan T, Piao X, Monk KR. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in nervous system development and disease. Nature reviews. Neuroscience 2016. PMID: 27466150


  31. Sigoillot SM, Monk KR, Piao X, Selimi F, Harty BL. Adhesion GPCRs as Novel Actors in Neural and Glial Cell Functions: From Synaptogenesis to Myelination. Handbook of experimental pharmacology 2016. PMID: 27832492


  32. Chen P, Piao X, Bonaldo P. Role of macrophages in Wallerian degeneration and axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Acta neuropathologica 2015. PMID: 26419777


  33. Schöneberg T, Liebscher I, Luo R, Monk KR, Piao X. Tethered agonists: a new mechanism underlying adhesion G protein-coupled receptor activation. Journal of receptor and signal transduction research 2015. PMID: 26366621


  34. Rao TN, Marks-Bluth J, Sullivan J, Gupta MK, Chandrakanthan V, Fitch SR, Ottersbach K, Jang YC, Piao X, Kulkarni RN, Serwold T, Pimanda JE, Wagers AJ. High-level Gpr56 expression is dispensable for the maintenance and function of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in mice. Stem cell research 2015. PMID: 25840412


  35. Petersen SC, Luo R, Liebscher I, Giera S, Jeong SJ, Mogha A, Ghidinelli M, Feltri ML, Schöneberg T, Piao X, Monk KR. The adhesion GPCR GPR126 has distinct, domain-dependent functions in Schwann cell development mediated by interaction with laminin-211. Neuron 2015. PMID: 25695270


  36. Giera S, Deng Y, Luo R, Ackerman SD, Mogha A, Monk KR, Ying Y, Jeong SJ, Makinodan M, Bialas AR, Chang BS, Stevens B, Corfas G, Piao X. The adhesion G protein-coupled receptor GPR56 is a cell-autonomous regulator of oligodendrocyte development. Nature communications 2015. PMID: 25607655


  37. Ackerman SD, Garcia C, Piao X, Gutmann DH, Monk KR. The adhesion GPCR Gpr56 regulates oligodendrocyte development via interactions with Ga12/13 and RhoA. Nature communications 2015. PMID: 25607772


  38. Hamann J, Aust G, Araç D, Engel FB, Formstone C, Fredriksson R, Hall RA, Harty BL, Kirchhoff C, Knapp B, Krishnan A, Liebscher I, Lin HH, Martinelli DC, Monk KR, Peeters MC, Piao X, Prömel S, Schöneberg T, Schwartz TW, Singer K, Stacey M, Ushkaryov YA, Vallon M, Wolfrum U, Wright MW, Xu L, Langenhan T, Schiöth HB. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCIV. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors. Pharmacological reviews 2015. PMID: 25713288


  39. Liebscher I, Ackley B, Araç D, Ariestanti DM, Aust G, Bae BI, Bista BR, Bridges JP, Duman JG, Engel FB, Giera S, Goffinet AM, Hall RA, Hamann J, Hartmann N, Lin HH, Liu M, Luo R, Mogha A, Monk KR, Peeters MC, Prömel S, Ressl S, Schiöth HB, Sigoillot SM, Song H, Talbot WS, Tall GG, White JP, Wolfrum U, Xu L, Piao X. New functions and signaling mechanisms for the class of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2014. PMID: 25424900


  40. White JP, Wrann CD, Rao RR, Nair SK, Jedrychowski MP, You JS, Martínez-Redondo V, Gygi SP, Ruas JL, Hornberger TA, Wu Z, Glass DJ, Piao X, Spiegelman BM. G protein-coupled receptor 56 regulates mechanical overload-induced muscle hypertrophy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2014. PMID: 25336758


  41. Luo R, Jeong SJ, Yang A, Wen M, Saslowsky DE, Lencer WI, Araç D, Piao X. Mechanism for adhesion G protein-coupled receptor GPR56-mediated RhoA activation induced by collagen III stimulation. PloS one 2014. PMID: 24949629


  42. Bae BI, Tietjen I, Atabay KD, Evrony GD, Johnson MB, Asare E, Wang PP, Murayama AY, Im K, Lisgo SN, Overman L, Šestan N, Chang BS, Barkovich AJ, Grant PE, Topçu M, Politsky J, Okano H, Piao X, Walsh CA. Evolutionarily dynamic alternative splicing of GPR56 regulates regional cerebral cortical patterning. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2014. PMID: 24531968


  43. Wu MP, Doyle JR, Barry B, Beauvais A, Rozkalne A, Piao X, Lawlor MW, Kopin AS, Walsh CA, Gussoni E. G-protein coupled receptor 56 promotes myoblast fusion through serum response factor- and nuclear factor of activated T-cell-mediated signalling but is not essential for muscle development in vivo. The FEBS journal 2013. PMID: 24102982


  44. Jeong SJ, Luo R, Singer K, Giera S, Kreidberg J, Kiyozumi D, Shimono C, Sekiguchi K, Piao X. GPR56 functions together with a3ß1 integrin in regulating cerebral cortical development. PloS one 2013. PMID: 23874761


  45. Araç D, Aust G, Calebiro D, Engel FB, Formstone C, Goffinet A, Hamann J, Kittel RJ, Liebscher I, Lin HH, Monk KR, Petrenko A, Piao X, Prömel S, Schiöth HB, Schwartz TW, Stacey M, Ushkaryov YA, Wobus M, Wolfrum U, Xu L, Langenhan T. Dissecting signaling and functions of adhesion G protein-coupled receptors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2012. PMID: 23215895


  46. Singer K, Luo R, Jeong SJ, Piao X. GPR56 and the developing cerebral cortex: cells, matrix, and neuronal migration. Molecular neurobiology 2012. PMID: 23001883


  47. Jeong SJ, Luo R, Li S, Strokes N, Piao X. Characterization of G protein-coupled receptor 56 protein expression in the mouse developing neocortex. The Journal of comparative neurology 2012. PMID: 22351047


  48. Luo R, Jin Z, Deng Y, Strokes N, Piao X. Disease-associated mutations prevent GPR56-collagen III interaction. PloS one 2012. PMID: 22238662


  49. Jeong SJ, Li S, Luo R, Strokes N, Piao X. Loss of Col3a1, the gene for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV, results in neocortical dyslamination. PloS one 2012. PMID: 22235340


  50. Luo R, Jeong SJ, Jin Z, Strokes N, Li S, Piao X. G protein-coupled receptor 56 and collagen III, a receptor-ligand pair, regulates cortical development and lamination. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2011. PMID: 21768377


  51. Luo R, Yang HM, Jin Z, Halley DJ, Chang BS, MacPherson L, Brueton L, Piao X. A novel GPR56 mutation causes bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria. Pediatric neurology 2011. PMID: 21723461


  52. Luo, R., Jeong, S.J., Jin, Z., Strokes, N., Li, S., Piao, X.. G protein-coupled receptor56 and collagen III, a receptor-ligand pair, regulates cortical development and lamination Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108(31), 12925-30. 2011. PMID:


  53. Strokes N, Piao X. Adhesion-GPCRs in the CNS. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2010. PMID: 21618828


  54. Jin Z, Luo R, Piao X. GPR56 and its related diseases. Progress in molecular biology and translational science 2009. PMID: 20374731


  55. Koirala S, Jin Z, Piao X, Corfas G. GPR56-regulated granule cell adhesion is essential for rostral cerebellar development. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2009. PMID: 19515912


  56. Li S, Jin Z, Koirala S, Bu L, Xu L, Hynes RO, Walsh CA, Corfas G, Piao X. GPR56 regulates pial basement membrane integrity and cortical lamination. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2008. PMID: 18509043


  57. Jin Z, Tietjen I, Bu L, Liu-Yesucevitz L, Gaur SK, Walsh CA, Piao X. Disease-associated mutations affect GPR56 protein trafficking and cell surface expression. Human molecular genetics 2007. PMID: 17576745


  58. Piao X, Chang BS, Bodell A, Woods K, Benzeev B, Topcu M, Guerrini R, Goldberg-Stern H, Sztriha L, Dobyns WB, Barkovich AJ, Walsh CA. Genotype-phenotype analysis of human frontoparietal polymicrogyria syndromes. Annals of neurology 2005. PMID: 16240336


  59. Piao X, Walsh CA. A novel signaling mechanism in brain development. Pediatric research 2004. PMID: 15269343


  60. Piao X, Hill RS, Bodell A, Chang BS, Basel-Vanagaite L, Straussberg R, Dobyns WB, Qasrawi B, Winter RM, Innes AM, Voit T, Ross ME, Michaud JL, Déscarie JC, Barkovich AJ, Walsh CA. G protein-coupled receptor-dependent development of human frontal cortex. Science (New York, N.Y.) 2004. PMID: 15044805


  61. Piao, X., Hill, R.S., Bodell, A., Chang, B.S., Basel-Vanagaite, L., Straussberg, R., Dobyns, W.B., Qasrawi, B., Winter, R.M., Innes, A.M., Voit, T., Ross, M.E., Michaud, J.L., Déscarie, J.C., Barkovich, A.J., Walsh, C.. G protein-coupled receptor-dependent development of human frontal cortex Science 2004. PMID:


  62. Chang BS, Piao X, Bodell A, Basel-Vanagaite L, Straussberg R, Dobyns WB, Qasrawi B, Winter RM, Innes AM, Voit T, Grant PE, Barkovich AJ, Walsh CA. Bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria: clinical and radiological features in 10 families with linkage to chromosome 16. Annals of neurology 2003. PMID: 12730993


  63. Piao X, Basel-Vanagaite L, Straussberg R, Grant PE, Pugh EW, Doheny K, Doan B, Hong SE, Shugart YY, Walsh CA. An autosomal recessive form of bilateral frontoparietal polymicrogyria maps to chromosome 16q12.2-21. American journal of human genetics 2002. PMID: 11845408


  64. Bennett DC, Trayner ID, Piao X, Easty DJ, Klüppel M, Alexander WS, Wagner EF, Bernstein A. recessive spotting: a linked locus that interacts with W/Kit but is not allelic. Genes to cells : devoted to molecular & cellular mechanisms 1998. PMID: 9663658


  65. Piao X, Paulson R, van der Geer P, Pawson T, Bernstein A. Oncogenic mutation in the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase alters substrate specificity and induces degradation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 1996. PMID: 8962111


  66. Piao X, Bernstein A. A point mutation in the catalytic domain of c-kit induces growth factor independence, tumorigenicity, and differentiation of mast cells. Blood 1996. PMID: 8605325


  67. Xu WM, Piao XH, Addy L, Jamal M, Minden MD, Messner HA. Minimal residual disease in bone marrow transplant recipients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Bone marrow transplantation 1994. PMID: 7994246


  68. Piao X, Curtis JE, Minkin S, Minden MD, Bernstein A. Expression of the Kit and KitA receptor isoforms in human acute myelogenous leukemia. Blood 1994. PMID: 7506952


  69. Yan MS, Xiue S, Wei LX, Piao XH. The preliminary observation on immunosuppressive effect of norcantharidin in mice. Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology 1993. PMID: 8450182


  70. Bai Y, Piao XH, Luo QL, Mao BZ. Monoclonal antibody 55 (CD10) and complement used for purging autologous bone marrow in common acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Chinese medical journal 1990. PMID: 2118055