People > Profile
Zongqi Xia, MD, PhD
- Associate Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Informatics, and Clinical and Translational Science
- Department of Neurology (Primary); Department of Biomedical Informatics (Secondary)
- Director, UPMC Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship Program
- Biomedical Informatics Training Program Core Faculty
Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Zongqi Xia joined the Department of Neurology in 2016 and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. He is a principal investigator in the Pittsburgh Institute for Multiple Sclerosis Care and Research and in the Pittsburgh Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Dr. Xia is a board-certified neurologist with subspecialty expertise in neuroimmunology and a physician scientist with clinical subspecialty in multiple sclerosis. His translational and computational research program lies at the intersection of data science and clinical neuroscience, with a focus on advancing precision medicine for people living with chronic neuroimmune or neurodegenerative disorders.
Research Interests
Dr. Xia’s research combines neuroimaging, genomics, EHR data, and machine learning to study heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. His lab develops predictive models for disease progression and treatment response, and investigates molecular and environmental factors driving neurodegeneration.
Specialties
- Neuroinformatics
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Machine Learning
- Multi-Omics
Education & Training
- B.A., BiologySwarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA1993–1997
- Ph.D., NeuroscienceCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH1997–2003
- M.D., MedicineCase Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH1997–2005
- Master of Medical Sciences, Clinical InvestigationHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA2011–2013
- Internship, Internal MedicineCase Medical Center, Cleveland, OH2005–2006
- Residency, NeurologyBrigham and Women's Hospital / Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA2006–2009
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroimmunology and GenomicsBrigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School / Broad Institute, Boston, MA2009–2013
- Fellowship / Director, Clinical Neuroimmunology / UPMC Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship ProgramUniversity of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA2017–Present
Research Grants
| Grant / Funding Agency | Role | Grant Number | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leveraging Electronic Health Records to Optimize Treatment Selection and Response in Multiple Sclerosis NIH/NINDS | PI | 2R01NS098023 | 2016–2027 |
| Network of Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials NIH/NINDS | Co-I | U24NS107166 | 2018–2028 |
| International MS Microbiome Study (iMSMS) National Multiple Sclerosis Society | Site PI | NMSS M-BaranziniUP-00sc | 2016–2026 |
| Phenotyping Multiple Sclerosis Disability Using Real-World Data Genentech/Roche | PI | SRA00002362 | 2022–2026 (NCE) |
| Semaphorin 4A Biomarker for Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Genentech/Roche | Multi-PI | SRA00009615 | 2024–2026 |
| Longitudinal Characterization of the Gut Microbiome in People with MS (iMSMSlong) F. Hoffmann-La Roche / UCSF | Site PI | SRA00003757 | 2023–2026 |
Trainees
| Trainee | Degree Program / Role & Years |
|---|---|
| Shruthi Venkatesh | PhD Candidate, Center for Neuroscience (Medical Scientist Training Program) | 2017–Present |
| Chen Hu | PhD Candidate, Department of Epidemiology | 2023–Present |
| Marisa DelSignore | MD/MS Candidate (Clinical Science Training Program) | 2023–2026 |
| Feiqing (Aimee) Huang | Post-Doctoral Fellow, Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health | 2023–2026 |
| Dominic DiSanto | PhD Candidate, Biostatistics, Harvard University | 2023–2026 |
| Lin Wang | PhD, Biostatistics, Harvard University (Graduated 2025) | 2022–2025 |