Xu Gao

Assistant Professor
xu.gao@hsc.pku.edu.cn
Xueyuanlu 38., Haidian district, Beijing, China
Peking University

Personal profile

Dr. Xu Gao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at Peking University. As an environmental epidemiologist, he focuses on exploring the relationships between environmental exposure and human aging by integrating population-based data with epigenetic biomarkers and other multi-omic biomarkers. Dr. Gao has published 40+ peer-reviewed papers in journals of public health, including Nature Aging, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Environment International, International Journal of Epidemiology, and European Journal of Epidemiology. He also serves on the editorial boards of Current Environmental Health Reports and The Innovation.

Education and research experience

2006 – 2011 Bachelor Fudan University China

2011 – 2014 Master Fudan University China

2014 – 2018 PhD (summa cum laude) Heidelberg University Germany

2018 – 2020 Postdoctoral Research Scientist Columbia University US

Main research directions

Environmental Health, Aging, Epigenetic Epidemiology

Representative scientific research projects

1. Open Foundation of China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health (2022-CKL-03). 2022.01-2023.12. PI

2. NIH R01 (R01ES025225): Circulating microRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles, Air Particulate Pollution, and Lung Function in an Aging Cohort. 2018 – 2020 Co-investigator

3. NIH R01 (R01ES027747): Air Particulate, Metals, and Cognitive Performance in an Aging Cohort – Roles of Circulating Extracellular Vesicles and Non-coding RNAs. 2018 – 2020 Co-investigator

4. Fondazione Cariplo (Bando Ricerca Malattie invecchiamento, #2017-0653): The Trithorax and Polycomb group proteins UTX and EzH2 in the Frailty Syndrome. 2017-2020 Co-investigator

10 representative papers

1. Gao X*, Koutrakis P, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Short-term exposure to PM2.5 components and renal health: findings from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2021; 420:126557. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126557. （IF = 10.588）

2. Gao X*, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Spiro A III, Hou L, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Nature Aging. 2021; 1(5):430-437. doi:10.1038/s43587-021-00060-4. （Coverage of the issue）

3. Gao X*, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Sparrow D, Hou L, DeMeo D, Litonjua A, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Association of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio with Reduced Pulmonary Function in a 30-Year Longitudinal Study of US Veterans. JAMA Network Open. 2020; 3:e2010350. (IF = 8.483)

4. Gao X*, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs modify the effect of short-term air pollution on lung function. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2020; 201(3):374-8. (IF = 21.405)

5. Gao X*, Koutrakis P, Blomberg A, Coull B, Vokonas P, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Short-term ambient particle radioactivity level and renal function in older men: Insight from the Normative Aging Study. Environment International. 2019; 131, 105018-25. (IF = 9.621)

6. Gao X*, Colicino E, Shen J, Just AC, Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Wang C, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Zheng Y, Hou L, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Comparative validation of an epigenetic mortality risk score with three aging biomarkers for predicting mortality risks among older adult males. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2019; 48, 1958-1971. (IF = 7.196)

7. Gao X*, Colicino E, Shen J, Just AC, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Coull B, Lin X, Vokonas P, Zheng Y, Hou L, Schwartz J, Baccarelli AA. Impacts of air pollution, temperature, and relative humidity on leukocyte distribution: An epigenetic perspective. Environment International. 2019; 126, 395-405. (IF = 9.621)

8. Gao X, Gào X, Zhang Y, Holleczek B, Schöttker B, Brenner H. Oxidative stress and epigenetic mortality risk score: associations with all-cause mortality among elderly people. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2019; 451-462. (IF = 8.082)

9. Gao X, Zhang Y, Brenner H. Associations of Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic atrophic gastritis with accelerated epigenetic aging in older adults. British Journal of Cancer. 2017; 117 (8), 1211. (IF = 7.640)

10. Gao X, Gào X, Zhang Y, Breitling LP, Schöttker B, Brenner H. Associations of self-reported smoking, cotinine levels and epigenetic smoking indicators with oxidative stress among older adults: a population-based study. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2017; 32(5):443-456. (IF = 8.082)