H. Eric Xu
Director Center for Structure &Function of Drug Targets;Director Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, SIMM,CAS
Research Center for Structure and Function of Drug Targets
Personal Homepage
CONTACT
eric.xu@simm.ac.cn
021-20231976
201203
501 Haike Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
Biography
Dr. Xu obtained his bachelor and master degrees in 1985 and 1988, both from Tsinghua University in Beijing China. He then went to Duke University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry in 1994. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Carl Pabo at MIT, he moved to GlaxoWellcome in 1996 as Research Investigator I. He was promoted to Investigator II in 1999 and again to Senior Investigator in 2001. Dr. Xu joined VARI as a Senior Scientific Investigator in July 2002 and became a Distinguished Investigator/Professor in March 2007. In July 2010, Dr. Xu established and served as the Distinguished Director of the VARI-SIMM Center for Drug Discovery at Shanghai Institute of Materia of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2013, he helped to establish and serve as the founding Director of the Key Laboratory of Receptor Research of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He returned to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as a full-time faculty member in 2019. In July 2022, he was appointed Deputy Director of State Key Laboratory of Drug Research.
Education Experience:
1991.01 – 1994.10, Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
1989.01 – 1990.12, Department of Plant Genetics,Duke University Graduate School, Durham, North Carolina
1985.09 – 1988.12, Master's Degree. in Biophysics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
1980.09 – 1985.07, Bachelor's Degree. in Nuclear Physics Engineering,Tsinghua University (a Five-Year University at that time), Beijing, China
Work Experience:
July 2022 – Present, Deputy Director, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
April 2013 –Dec 2022, Founding Director, Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
July 2010 – Present Director and Professor，Center for Structure and Function of Drug Targets, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
July 2011 – August 2019 Distinguished Director，VARI/SIMM Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
January 2014–August 2019 Professor,Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
January 2010 –2013 Professor and Director, Center of Structure Biology and Drug Discovery, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
January 2010 –2013 Member, Executive Committee, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
March, 2007-2013 Distinguished Principal Investigator, Director of the Laboratory of Structural Sciences, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2002- March, 2007 Senior Principal Investigator, Director of the Laboratory of Structural Sciences,Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2001 - 2002 Senior Research Investigator, Department of Structural Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
1999 – 2001 Research Investigator II, Department of Structural Chemistry,GlaxoWellcome Research Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
1996 – 1999 Research Investigator I, Department of Structural Chemistry,GlaxoWellcome Research Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
1994– 1996 Research Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Research Directions
Research in his group covers structures and drug discovery of nuclear hormone receptors, hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor Met tyrosine kinase, G-protein coupled receptors, and plant hormones.
Grants & Research Projects
1.National Natural Science Foundation of China, Major Program, Grant No. 82495184, "Structural Function and Translational Study of Potential Drug Targets in Gut–Brain Interaction", January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2029. Project Leader.
2.National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key Program, Grant No. 32130022, "Mechanistic Study of GPCR Kinase Regulation of GPCR-Mediated Cell Signal Transduction", January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2026. Project Leader.
3.National Natural Science Foundation of China, Innovative Research Group Program, Grant No. 82121005, "Structural Pharmacology of G Protein-Coupled Receptors", January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2026. Project Participant.
Achievements
Dr. Xu has published 330 papers in journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, and Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, with over 48,000 citations, and holds more than ten patents. Two of his research papers on plant hormone signaling were selected as top 10 breakthroughs by Science in 2009 and by Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014. His recent X-ray laser structure of the first GPCR-arrestin complex was also selected as a top 10 breakthrough by Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015 and was recognized by the 2016 Hans Neurath Award of Protein Society and the 2016 Wuxi outstanding achievement award. His research on the Molecular Mechanisms of GPCR Signal Transduction Pathways was granted the first prize of the 2023 Shanghai Natural Science Award. In 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, he won "Excellent Tutor Award of CAS". He also has been awarded the Shanghai "Magnolia Memorial Award" and the 13th "C.C. Tan Life Science Achievement Award" in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In 2022, he won the 22th "Wu Jieping-Paul Janssen & Pharmaceutical Award" and the first prize of the ninth "Overseas Chinese Contribution Award". He also has been awarded the Shanghai "Magnolia Gold Award" in 2022. In 2023, he won the "Pearl Leading Talent" in Pudong New District of Shanghai. In 2024, His research "Research on the molecular mechanism of GPCR signaling pathway system" won the first prize of the 2023 Shanghai Natural Science Award. In December 2025, "Molecular Regulatory Mechanisms and Targeted Intervention Strategies for Kidney Injury and Repair" was selected for the First Prize of the Ministry of Education's Natural Science Research Achievement Award for 2025.
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Social Titles
2004-Present Editorial Board Member, Nuclear Receptor Signaling
2012-Present Editorial Board Member, PLOS One
2012- Present Associate Editor, Acta Pharmacological Sinica (APS)
2014- Present Editorial Board Member, Genes& Development (CSHL)
2015- Present Editorial Board Member, Steroids
2024- Present Member of the Advisory Board of Molecular Cell
December 2025 – present: Editorial Board Member, Health and Metabolism
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Awards & Honors
Dec.2025: "Molecular Regulatory Mechanisms and Targeted Intervention Strategies for Kidney Injury and Repair" was awarded First Prize of the 2025 Natural Science Research Achievement Award of the Ministry of Education
Nov.2025: Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2025
Jul.2025: Outstanding Advisor Award at the National Final of the Second National College Student Career Planning Competition
Nov. 2024: 2024 Top Cited Scholar (Scilit)
Nov. 2024: Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2024
Oct. 2024: "Excellent tutor award of Chinese Academy of Sciences" in 2024
Jul. 2024: "Research on the molecular mechanism of GPCR signaling pathway system" won the first prize of the 2023 Shanghai Natural Science Award
Mar.2024: "To reveal the molecular mechanism by which GPCR kinases recognize and regulate GPCR bias signal transduction" was selected as one of the "Top Ten Advances" in 2023 scientific and technological innovation of Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch (basic research)
Dec. 2023: "Special Allowance from the State Council"
Dec. 2023: "Pearl Leading Talent" in Pudong New Area 2023.
Sept. 2023: "Excellent tutor award of Chinese Academy of Sciences" in 2023
Feb. 2023: "Clarifying the structure and function of multiple drug targets" was selected as one of the "Top Ten Advances" in 2022 scientific and technological innovation of Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Branch (basic research)
Dec. 2022: The Shanghai "Magnolia Gold Award"
Aug. 2022: "Excellent tutor award of Chinese Academy of Sciences" in 2022
Jan. 2022: The 22th "Wu Jieping-Paul Janssen & Pharmaceutical Award"
Oct. 2021: The 13th "C.C. Tan Life Science Achievement Award"
Aug. 2021: "Excellent tutor award of Chinese Academy of Sciences" in 2021
Sept. 2020: Shanghai "Magnolia Memorial Award"
Jan. 2020: "Analysis of Protein Structure Provides Structural Theoretical Basis for New Drug Development" Selected as a Major Medical Advancement in China in 2019 (Pharmacy Department)
Sept. 2019: "Excellent tutor award of Chinese Academy of Sciences" in 2019
Dece.2016: "Wuxi life chemistry research award" Outstanding Achievement Award
July. 2016: The Hans Neurath Award, The Protein Society
Sept. 2001: The GlaxoSmithKline Research Excellence Award
Dec. 1999: The GlaxoWellcome Research Excellence Award
Nov. 1993: Research Award in the Twenty-Fifth Sigma Xi Graduate Student Forum, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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Publications
Selected Publications
1.Xuemei Yang, Nana Cui, Tianyu Li, Xinheng He, Heng Zhang , Canrong Wu, Yang Li, Xiong Ma, H Eric Xu. Structures of Ostα/β reveal a unique fold and bile acid transport mechanism. Nature. 2026 Mar;651(8104):260-267. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-10029-7. Online ahead of print.
2.Heng Zhang#, Tianwei Zhang#, Dingyan Wang#, Antao Dai#, Jianhang Mao#, Qihui Chen, Tianyuan Du, Xue Lu, Yongxin Hao, Chao Zhang, Yu-Ling Yin, Wen Hu, Benxun Pan, Sanshan Jin, Mengting Jiang, Yuan Si, Qingning Yuan, Ming-Wei Wang, Mingyue Zheng, Zhen Wang*, Dehua Yang*, H. Eric Xu, Yi Jiang*. Unveiling Conformational Selective Regulation of the Norepinephrine Transporter. Cell, 2025 Oct 24:S0092-8674(25)01131-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.10.002.
3.Heng Zhang, Yu-Ling Yin, Antao Dai, Tianwei Zhang, Chao Zhang, Canrong Wu, Wen Hu, Xinheng He, Benxun Pan, Sanshan Jin, Qingning Yuan, Ming-Wei Wang, Dehua Yang, H. Eric Xu , Yi Jiang. Dimerization and antidepressant recognition at noradrenaline transporter. Nature. 2024 Jun;630(8015):247-254. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07437-6. Epub 2024 May 15.
4.Heng Liu, You Zheng, Yue Wang, Yumeng Wang, Xinheng He, Peiyu Xu, Sijie Huang, Qingning Yuan, Xinyue Zhang, Ling Wang, Kexin Jiang, Hong Chen, Zhen Li, Wenbin Liu, Sheng Wang, H Eric Xu, Fei Xu.Recognition of methamphetamine and otheramines by trace amine receptor TAAR1. Nature. 2023 Dec;624(7992):663-671. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06775-1. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
5.Jia Duan, Heng Liu, Fenghui Zhao, Qingning Yuan, Yujie Ji, Xiaoqing Cai, Xinheng He, Xinzhu Li, Junrui Li, Kai Wu, Tianyu Gao, Shengnan Zhu, Shi Lin, Ming-Wei Wang, Xi Cheng, Wanchao Yin, Yi Jiang, Dehua Yang & H. Eric Xu .GPCR activation and GRK2 assembly by a biased intracellular agonist. Nature. 2023 Aug;620(7974):676-681. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06395-9. Epub 2023 Aug 2.
6.Li-Hua Zhao, Qian He, Qingning Yuan, Yimin Gu, Xinheng He, Hong Shan, Junrui Li, Kai Wang, Yang Li, Wen Hu, Kai Wu, Jianhua Shen & H. Eric Xu .Conserved class B GPCR activation by a biased intracellular agonist. Nature. 2023 Sep;621(7979):635-641. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06467-w. Epub 2023 Jul 31.
7.Yue Wang, Youwen Zhuang, Jeffrey F DiBerto, X Edward Zhou, Gavin P Schmitz , Qingning Yuan , Manish K Jain , Weiyi Liu , Karsten Melcher , Yi Jiang, Bryan L Roth, H Eric Xu. Structures of the entire human opioid receptor family. Cell. 2023 Jan 19;186(2):413-427.e17. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.026. Epub 2023 Jan 12.
8.Youwen Zhuang, Yue Wang, Bingqing He, Xinheng He, X Edward Zhou, Shimeng Guo, Qidi Rao, Jiaqi Yang, Jinyu Liu, Qingtong Zhou, Xiaoxi Wang, Mingliang Liu, Weiyi Liu, Xiangrui Jiang, Dehua Yang, Hualiang Jiang, Jingshan Shen, Karsten Melcher, Hong Chen, Yi Jiang, Xi Cheng, Ming-Wei Wang, Xin Xie, H Eric Xu. Molecular recognition of morphine and fentanyl by the human μ-opioid receptor. Cell. 2022 Nov 10;185(23):4361-4375.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.041.
9.Jia Duan, Peiyu Xu, Xiaodong Luan, Yujie Ji, Xinheng He, Ning Song, Qingning Yuan, Ye Jin, Xi Cheng, Hualiang Jiang, Jie Zheng, Shuyang Zhang, Yi Jiang & H. Eric Xu. Hormone- and antibody-mediated activation of the thyrotropin receptor. Nature. 2022 Sep;609(7928):854-859. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05173-3. Epub 2022 Aug 8.
10.Wanchao Yin, Youwei Xu, Peiyu Xu, Xiaodan Cao, Canrong Wu, Chunyin Gu, Xinheng He, Xiaoxi Wang, Sijie Huang, Qingning Yuan, Kai Wu, Wen Hu, Zifu Huang, Jia Liu, Zongda Wang, Fangfang Jia, Kaiwen Xia, Peipei Liu, Xueping Wang, Bin Song, Jie Zheng, Hualiang Jiang, Xi Cheng, Yi Jiang, Su-Jun Deng, H Eric Xu. Structures of the Omicron Spike trimer with ACE2 and an anti-Omicron antibody. Science. 375 (6584), 1048-1053.2022 Feb 8;eabn8863. doi: 10.1126/science.abn8863. Online ahead of print.
11.Jia Duan, Peiyu Xu, Xi Cheng, Chunyou Mao, Tristan Croll, Xinheng He, Jingjing Shi, Xiaodong Luan, Wanchao Yin, Erli You, Qiufeng Liu, Shuyang Zhang, Hualiang Jiang, Yan Zhang, Yi Jiang, H Eric Xu. Structures of full-length glycoprotein hormone receptor signalling complexes. Nature. 2021 Oct;598(7882):688-692. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03924-2. Epub 2021 Sep 22.
12.Peiyu Xu, Sijie Huang, Huibing Zhang, Chunyou Mao, X. Edward Zhou, Xi Cheng, Icaro A. Simon, Dan-Dan Shen, Hsin-Yung Yen, Carol V. Robinson, Kasper Harpsøe, Bo Svensson, Jia Guo, Hualiang Jiang, David E. loriam, Karsten Melcher, Yi Jiang*, Yan Zhang* & H. Eric Xu* .Structural insights into the lipid and ligand regulation of serotonin receptors. Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7854):469-473. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03376-8. Epub 2021 Mar 24.PMID: 33762731
13.Youwen Zhuang, Peiyu Xu, Chunyou Mao, Lei Wang, Brian Krumm, X. Edward Zhou, Sijie Huang, Heng Liu, Xi Cheng, Xi-Ping Huang, Dan-Dan Shen, Tinghai Xu, Yong-Feng Liu, Yue Wang, Jia Guo, Yi Jiang, Hualiang Jiang, Karsten Melcher, Bryan L. Roth,* Yan Zhang, * Cheng Zhang,*and H. Eric Xu*. Structural insights into the human D1 and D2dopamine receptor signaling complexes. Cell. 2021 Feb 18;184(4):931-942.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.027. Epub 2021 Feb 10.
14.Wanchao Yin #, Chunyou Mao #, Xiaodong Luan #, Dan-Dan Shen #, Qingya Shen #, Haixia Su #, Xiaoxi Wang , Fulai Zhou , Wenfeng Zhao , Minqi Gao , Shenghai Chang, Yuan-Chao Xie, Guanghui Tian, He-Wei Jiang, Sheng-Ce Tao , Jingshan Shen, Yi Jiang, Hualiang Jiang, Yechun Xu, Shuyang Zhang, Yan Zhang, H Eric Xu. Structural basis for inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from SARS-CoV-2 by remdesivir. Science, 2020 Jun 26;368(6498):1499-1504. doi: 10.1126/science.abc1560. Epub 2020 May 1.
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