Kehui "Coffee" Xiang

Hi, my name is

Kehui "Coffee" Xiang

A passionate scientist who studies gene regulation. I combine high-throughput system methodologies, RNA and protein biochemistry, functional genomic screens, and machine learning to unravel gene-regulatory mechanisms.

About Me

I am a scientist driven by my curiosity for the unknown. I have a multidisciplinary background in mathematics, physics, and biology. I combine wet-bench labwork with computational modeling to address the most exciting biological and biomedical questions. I am currently working as a Postdoc Associate with Dr. David Bartel at the Whitehead Institute.

Presently, I am working on

Using machine learning to identify genetic variants associated with human reproductive disorders;
Post-transcriptional gene regulation during veterbrate early development;
Novel technologies to study translational control mechanisms in mammalian cells.

Outside my work, I like building things, exploring the nature, making videos, exercises, games, and movies.

Experience

Whitehead Institute
Columbia University
Tsinghua Univeristy

Postdoc Associate/Fellow - Whitehead Institute

Feb 2014 - present

Bartel lab

I worked on multiple projects about post-transcriptional gene regulation.

Built a machine-learning model to predict poly(A) tail-length change during oocyte maturation (link)
Identified sequence elements and contextural features that control poly(A)-tail length and translation during frog and fish early development (link)
Unraveled molecular mechanisms of coupling between poly(A)-tail length and translational (link)

Research Assistant (Graduate student) - Columbia University

Sep 2007 - Jan 2014

Tong lab

I carried out structural and biochemical studies on transcription-coupled mRNA 3’-end processing.

Determined the crystal structure of the symplekin-Ssu72-CTD complex and found an unexpected conformation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (link)
Revealed the molecular details of Ssu72 functioning as a dual phosphatase targeting different sites of the same peptide substrate (link)
Solved the crystal structure of Rtr1, a Ser5 phosphatase of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (link)

Research Assistant - Tsinghua Univeristy

June 2005 - June 2007

Rao lab

I helped determine the crystal structures of Nipah and Hendra virus fusion core proteins and develop novel drug-screening technologies based on traditional Chinese medicine.