Xin Jin, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Neuroscience

Research Focus

Approximately 1 in every 5 adults in the US will experience some form of serious mental illness in their lives. While human genetic studies have identified numerous genes and loci contributing to the risk of these devastating psychiatric disorders, it remains a challenge to map their cellular mechanisms and determine the relevant tissue and cell type contexts. We are building in vivo genetic screens to allow massively parallel analyses of gene function to systematically assign their function in diverse cell types in the context of brain development and maturation (Jin et al. 2020, Zheng et al. 2024).

A complex interplay of distinct factors causes brain disorders. We see this with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where not only do numerous genes influence risk, but so do factors such as sex – ASD affects males much more frequently than females. We are working to connect sex-differential physiology with knowledge about ASD risk genes to study the confluence of these contributing aspects.

To tackle these challenges, we build and apply a suite of neurotechnologies including in vivo CRISPR screens, single-cell multi-omics, spatial genomics, and chemical biology tools. We always work in teams and collaborate closely with others in and out of the lab. Our unique position in joining forces of neuroscience and tool development has inspired us to connect technologies with rigorous dissection of molecular mechanisms to study how these complex inputs are integrated into the developing brain.

Education

Professional Experience

Awards & Professional Activities

Select Publications

Shi, Tuo; Korshunova, Maria; Kim, Seoyeon; DeTomaso, David; Zheng, Xinhe; Vishvanath, Lavanya; Nyasulu, Thokozile; Huynh, Nhan; Sun, Alexander; Thompson, Patrick C.; Zhang, Yifan; Wigdor, Emilie M.; Rohani, Narjes; Ali, Salma; Qiu, Huixian; Geralt, Michael; Zhao, Ziyan; Rabhi, Sara; Yao, Zizhen; van Velthoven, Cindy T T.; Nery, Joseph R.; Castanon, Rosa Gome G.; Dicks, Severin; Chen, Tiffany J.; Ecker, Joseph R.; Zeng, Hongkui; Zheng, Grace X X.; Sanders, Stephan J.; Sundaram, Laksshman; Jin, Xin Genome-scale functional mapping of the mammalian whole brain with in vivo Perturb-seq. 2026.
Wu, Boli; Simmons, Sean K.; Kim, Seoyeon; Li, Jiwen; Akram, Masood A.; Park, Chang Si S.; Zheng, Xinhe; Mendez, Iain; Patel, Sasha; Chau, Alan; Burciu, Nadia; Dayal, Pranay; Nyasulu, Thokozile; Huynh, Nhan; Clarke, Grace S.; Yang, X Willia W.; Levin, Joshua Z.; Jin, Xin Concordant transcriptional and morphological remodeling revealed by Perturb-CLEAR. 2026.
Zheng, Xinhe; Thompson, Patrick C.; White, Cassandra M.; Jin, Xin Massively parallel in vivo Perturb-seq screening. 2025, 20, 1733-1767.
Zheng, Xinhe; Wu, Boli; Liu, Yuejia; Simmons, Sean K.; Kim, Kwanho; Clarke, Grace S.; Ashiq, Abdullah; Park, Joshua; Li, Jiwen; Wang, Zhilin; Tong, Liqi; Wang, Qizhao; Rajamani, Keerthi T.; Muñoz-Castañeda, Rodrigo; Mu, Shang; Qi, Tianbo; Zhang, Yunxiao; Ngiam, Zi Cha C.; Ohte, Naoto; Hanashima, Carina; Wu, Zhuhao; Xu, Xiangmin; Levin, Joshua Z.; Jin, Xin Massively parallel in vivo Perturb-seq reveals cell-type-specific transcriptional networks in cortical development. Cell 2024, 187, 3236-3248.e21.
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Jin, Xin; Simmons, Sean K.; Guo, Amy; Shetty, A S.; Ko, Michelle; Nguyen, Lan; Jokhi, Vahbiz; Robinson, Elise; Oyler, Paul; Curry, Nathan; Deangeli, Giulio; Lodato, Simona; Levin, Joshua Z.; Regev, Aviv; Zhang, Feng; Arlotta, Paola In vivo Perturb-Seq reveals neuronal and glial abnormalities associated with autism risk genes. Science 2020, 370.
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Magazine

Xin Jin receives prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship

Xin Jin, an associate professor at Scripps Research and a Freeman Hrabowski Scholar at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship for her exceptional research and leadership in the field of neuroscience.

Neuroscience Awards & Honors

News

Scripps Research study reveals how uterine contractions are regulated by stretch and pressure during childbirth

Molecular insights could lead to improved labor and pain treatments.

Neuroscience

In the Media

Humans’ hidden “sixth sense” to be mapped following $14.2 million prize – What is interoception?

IFL Science

Neuroscience Grants

News

Scripps Research-led team receives $14.2M NIH award to map the body’s “hidden sixth sense”

An NIH-backed effort aims to decode how the nervous system monitors internal organs.

Neuroscience Chemistry

News

Scripps Research associate professor named an HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar

Associate Professor Xin Jin selected for up to two five-year terms, receiving up to $8.6 million over 10 years to support neuroscience and genomic research.

Neuroscience

Magazine

Three Scripps Research scientists named “Prebys Research Heroes”

Three Scripps Research scientists have been named Prebys Research Heroes: associate chemistry professor Mia Huang, PhD; assistant neuroscience professor Xin Jin, PhD; and neuroscience professor Lisa Stowers, PhD.

Awards & Honors

News

CIRM awards more than $28 million to Scripps Research faculty members

The two distinct awards will support collaborative research projects into pollution’s impact on autism as well as risk genes in psychiatric disorders.

Neuroscience Molecular & Cellular Biology

News

Neuroscientist Xin Jin granted Pew and McKnight awards

Jin is named a 2024 Pew Scholar and receives the McKnight Scholar Award, supporting her research in mapping the genes and cell types in brain development.

Neuroscience