Assistant Professor

Computational approaches to study genetic architecture of rare diseases and interpretation of genetic variants

Ph.D., Bioinformatics, University of Alberta, 2016

Dr. Xiao Fan completed her Ph.D. in Bioinformatics program at the University of Alberta in 2016. Her research interests involve studying genetic architecture of rare diseases using whole genome/exome sequencing data, improving genetic variant interpretation and using machine learning methods to answer medical/biochemical questions. She has published 24 journal articles and was a principal investigator of the NIH K99/R00 award in 2021.

Dr. Fan’s research seeks to improve understanding of genetic, biological and medical questions using computational approaches. The research projects include study of rare genetic diseases, interpretation of genetic variants, and characteristics of medical phenotypes. Her laboratory aims to discover novel genes underlying diseases using case-control association studies, accurately identify pathogenic variants using machine learning methods, and predict trajectory of medical phenotypes based on cellular, molecular and genetic data.

Honors and Awards:

• K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, 2021-2026
• Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize, 2015
• Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship, 2014-2015

Selected Publications:

Google Scholar Citations Link

Exceptionally abundant exceptions: comprehensive characterization of intrinsic disorder in all domains of life
Z Peng, J Yan, X Fan, MJ Mizianty, B Xue, K Wang, G Hu, VN Uversky
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 72 (1), 137-151 288 2015

Accurate prediction of disorder in protein chains with a comprehensive and empirically designed consensus
X Fan, L Kurgan
Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics 32 (3), 448-464 149 2014

Interplay between the oxidoreductase PDIA6 and microRNA-322 controls the response to disrupted endoplasmic reticulum calcium homeostasis
J Groenendyk, Z Peng, E Dudek, X Fan, MJ Mizianty, E Dufey, H Urra
Science signaling 7 (329), ra54-ra54 87 2014

Comprehensive overview and assessment of computational prediction of microRNA targets in animals
X Fan, L Kurgan
Briefings in bioinformatics 16 (5), 780-794 78 2015

The intrinsic disorder status of the human hepatitis C virus proteome
X Fan, B Xue, PT Dolan, DJ LaCount, L Kurgan, VN Uversky
Molecular BioSystems 10 (6), 1345-1363 58 2014

Functional interrogation of DNA damage response variants with base editing screens
R Cuella-Martin, SB Hayward, X Fan, X Chen, JW Huang, A Taglialatela,
Cell 184 (4), 1081-1097. e19 41 2021

Covering complete proteomes with X-ray structures: a current snapshot
MJ Mizianty, X Fan, J Yan, E Chalmers, C Woloschuk, A Joachimiak,
Acta Crystallographica Section D: Biological Crystallography 70 (11), 2781-2793