Me & Science: Ever since the days doing my undergraduate thesis work at an immunology lab in Beijing Medical University, I have always been intrigued by how immune cells integrate various exogenous and endogenous environmental cues to achieve optimal responses and have been fortunate enough to pursue this dream of deciphering immune signaling pathways throughout most of my career. Meanwhile, given my training in medical school, it is equally important for me to underscore our research efforts with clinical relevance with the primary goal ofsolving pressing medical issues such as treating autoimmunity and inflammation. Therefore, our current research efforts and directions largely stem from and are motivated by the desire to unravel immune signaling mechanisms combined with the hope to discover new therapeutic targets forautoimmune disorders. Research Interests: Immunology, signal transduction Scientific Focus: Investigation of mechanisms that regulation myeloid cell inflammatory responses Discovery of novel therapeutic targets for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases Professional Overview: 2014 Principal investigator, Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China 2014 Recruitment Program of Global Experts (1000 Young Talent Plan) Award, China 2010-2013 Assistant Professor of Immunology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA 2010 Christina Fleischmann Memorial Award for Young Women Investigator, International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research 2008-2013 Assistant Scientist, Research Division, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA 2006-2009 Arthritis Foundation Young Scholar Award, USA 2005-2008 Instructor, Research Division, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA 2004 Ph.D. in Immunology, Cornell University Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA 1997 B.M. in Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Medical University, Beijing, China Selected Publications: Xu H, Zhu J, Smith S, Foldi J, Zhao B, Chung AY, Outtz HH, Kitajewski J, Shi C, Weber S, Saftig P, Li YM, Ozato K, Blobel CP, Ivashkiv LB, and Hu X. Notch-RBP-J signaling regulates IRF8 to promote inflammatory macrophage polarization. Nature Immunology 2012; 13:642-650 Hu X, Ivashkiv LB. Cross-regulation of signaling pathways by interferon-gamma: implications for immune responses and autoimmune diseases. Immunity 2009; 31:539-550. Hu X, Chung AY, Wu I, Foldi J, Chen J, Ji J, Tateya T, Gessler M, Kageyama R, Ivashkiv LB. Selective and reciprocal regulation of TLR-inducible gene subsets by Notch and IFN-g pathways. Immunity 2008; 29:691-703 Hu X, Paik PK, Chen J, Yarilina A, Kockeritz L, Lu TT, Woodgett JR, Ivashkiv LB. IFN-g suppresses IL-10 production and synergizes with TLR2 by regulating glycogen synthase kinase-3 and CREB/AP-1 proteins. Immunity 2006; 24:563-574 Hu X, Ho HH, Lou O, Hidaka C, Ivashkiv LB. Homeostatic role of Interferons conferred by inhibition of IL-1-mediated inflammation and tissue destruction. Journal of Immunology 2005; 175:131-138 Hu X, Li WP, Meng C, Ivashkiv LB. Inhibition of Interferon-g signaling by glucocorticoids. Journal of Immunology 2003; 170:4833-4839 Hu X, Herrero C, Li WP, Antoniv TT, Falck-Pedersen E, Koch AE, Woods JM, Haines GK III, Ivashkiv LB. Sensitization of Interferon-g Jak-STAT signaling during macrophage activation. Nature Immunology 2002; 3:859-866