During Dr. Gao's graduate studies, he combined CRISPR’s programmable DNA targeting with engineered ascorbate peroxidase to develop a DNA-locus-specific functional proteomic tool for studying genome biology. As a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. David Liu’s group at the Broad Institute and Harvard University, Dr. Gao pioneered site-specific large gene integration technologies and led several preclinical studies applying precision gene editing to treat a range of genetic diseases, including peroxisome biogenesis disorders, retinitis pigmentosa, and recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
Before launching his independent research program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2025, Dr. Gao authored 16 publications, including seven first-author papers in journals such as Nature Methods, Nature Biotechnology, and Nature Biomedical Engineering. His graduate and postdoctoral work has also resulted in seven patent applications, several of which have been licensed by biopharmaceutical companies for cell and gene therapy development, underscoring the translational impact of his research.
Dr. Gao's hope for the future is to identify one treatment that can work for a wide variety of disorders.
- Harvard University and Broad Institute, Post-doctoral fellow, 2025
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, 2019
- Northwestern University, M.S. in Biotechnology, 2014
- Northeastern University, B.S. in Biology, Mathematics minor, 2011
Education & Training
Gao, X.D., Tu, L.-C., Mir, A., Rodriguez, T., Ding, Y., Leszyk, J., Dekker, J., Shaffer, S., Zhu, L., Wolfe, S., Sontheimer, E. (2018). C-BERST: defining subnuclear proteomic landscapes at genomic elements with dCas9–APEX2. Nat. Methods 15, 433-436.
Anzalone, A.V.*, Gao, X.D.*, Podracky, C.J.*, Nelson, A.T., Koblan, L.W., Raguram, A., Levy, J.M., Mercer, J.A.M., Liu, D.R. (2022). Programmable deletion, replacement, integration, and inversion of large DNA sequences with twin prime editing. Nat. Biotechnol. 40, 731-740. (*denotes co-first authors).
Doman, J.L. *, Pandey, S. *, Neugebauer, M.E., An, M., Davis, J.R., Randolph, P.B., McElroy, A., Gao, X.D., Raguram, A., Richter, M.F., et al. (2023). Phage-assisted evolution and protein engineering yield compact, efficient prime editors. Cell 186, 3983-4002.e26. 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.039.
Pandey, S.*, Gao, X.D.*, Krasnow, N.A., McElroy, A., Tao, Y.A., Duby, J.E., Steinbeck, B.J., McCreary, J., Pierce, S.E., Tolar, J., et al. (2024). Efficient site-specific integration of large genes in mammalian cells via continuously evolved recombinases and prime editing. Nat. Biomed. Eng. 9, 22–39.
Fu, Y. *, He, X. *, Ma, L. *, Gao, X.D., Liu, P., Shi, H., Chai, P., Ge, S., Jia, R., Liu, D.R., et al. (2025). In vivo prime editing rescues photoreceptor degeneration in nonsense mutant retinitis pigmentosa. Nat. Commun. 16, 2394. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57628-6.
Dr. Gao’s research interests focus on using tools derived from CRISPR to modify genetic sequences to identify and treat causes of disease. One of his greatest accomplishments is the development of the eePASSIGE tool which makes it possible to insert healthy genetic material into human and stem cells, creating a promising possible treatment for a variety of diseases. The tool works regardless of which genetic mutation is being targeted. eePASSIGE has been proven effective in human and stem cells, and in the future Dr. Gao expects to trial it in mice.
The Gao Lab's mission is to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms and translate these insights into transformative therapies that advance human health. We combine biomolecular engineering, gene editing, and chemical biology to explore and interpret the genetic and cellular landscape. By leveraging discoveries in basic science, we aim to develop next-generation genomic medicine capable of overcoming current limitations in delivery, efficacy, and safety.