Ashley Xia, M.D., Ph.D.

Responsibilities & Activities

As a program director, I manage and oversee programs funded by the NIH Common Fund and by DEM. My projects include:

NIH Common Fund Programs

• Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity (MoTrPAC) in Humans evaluates molecular mechanisms of exercise with genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics. I serve as project scientist for the awards of Chemical Analysis sites and the Bioinformatics Center, and oversee the planning and execution of omics analyses, data QA/QC, integrated data analyses, and data sharing.
• Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) identifies and provides information on proteins that are currently not well studied within commonly drug-targeted protein families including understudied kinases, ion channels, and G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR). I serve as a program official for the awards of Data and Resource Generating Centers (DRGC) and provide oversights and program management for three awards.
• Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) strives to fill the gap of our understanding of nerve-organ interactions. I serve as a subject expert in the Subject Expert Committee for the Data Resource Centers (DRC) of Data-Core, Map-Core, and Simulation-Core and provide advice on data portal and data sharing.
  

Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases Program

• NIDDK Information Network (dkNET) supports the NIDDK community’s needs in data science by providing an information portal that connects users to data, analytical tools, and other biomedical research resources. Additionally, dkNET supports researchers by providing a hub for data-driven hypothesis generation; a suite of tools that assist users in FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) practice, and in improving rigor and reproducibility in research; and a variety of programs to enhance community engagement and workforce development. I serve as a program official, managing programmatic aspects of this program.
• RFA-DK-23-006: Advancing Research on Mechanisms and Management of Pain for Diseases and Conditions within NIDDK Mission Area This is a Trans-NIDDK funding opportunity that addresses the needs of pain management through the invitation of broad investigator-initiated research projects proposing novel basic, translational, and clinical studies and efforts to develop new approaches to assess and treat pain for disorders within the NIDDK's mission. I serve as a program contact for the division.
  

Committees & Working Groups

• DEM Data Science Working Group, Co-Lead
• DEM Type 2 Diabetes Heterogeneity Working Group, Member
• The NIH Data Sustainability Working Group, Member
• Trans-DK Data Management & Data Science Forum, DEM Representative