Xuejun Kong, MD
Professional Information
Experience:
Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Attending Physician, BIDMC
Research Staff, Massachusetts General Hospital
Education:
MD , Beijing Medical University,
Position:
Martinos Faculty
Biosketch
Xue-Jun (June) Kong, M.D. is a Research Investigator at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Mass General Hospital, where she leads her Autism research team with funding from both USA and China. Her research projects include ASD microbiome and genomic studies; studies of biomarkers, autonomic dysfunction and brain imaging, and noninvasive brain stimulation; and drug clinical trials. The aim of these projects is to achieve a better understanding the etiology, early detection, clinical subgrouping, evidence-based and target treatments of ASD. Dr. Kong has proposed and modified an ASD primary care model and an extensive medical evaluation protocol, and East meets West approaches. In addition, she chairs the American Chinese Medical Exchange Society, the International Medicine Transformation (IMT) Initiative, and the To Cure Autism Institute. She is on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is a distinguished professor of Dalian Medical University (China). She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of North American Journal of Medicine & Science and North American Journal of Medicine & Health.
Dr. Kong’s prior research activity included extensive molecular biology research on free radicals and superoxide dismutase, and cell cycling regulation in both animal cells and human cells. In recent years, Autism has been Dr. Kong’s major research interest. She has published more than 20 peer reviewed articles and 5 autism special issues and she has been an international speaker. She leads several ongoing ASD research projects beside her clinical and educational activities.
Dr. Kong and her team’s research includes (but is not limited to):
1. ASD genomic study to guide therapeutic approaches
2. Comparison of human oral and gut microbiome between ASD and family members
3. Study of Biomarkers related with ASD4. Autonomic dysfunction and brain imaging of ASD
5. Clinical trials of drugs and non-invasive brain stimulation for ASD
The research goals are:
1. To identify the subgroups of autism
2. To define physiologic defects in systemic and cellular levels for autism
3. To identify effective therapeutics to improve patient lives with these disorders
4. To identify potential targets for new therapies
5. To use integrative, east meets west approach, whole body approach to conduct clinical trials and screen effective, evidence based novo treatments.
6. To apply state-of-the-art experimental technologies through collaboration across Harvard system to study these complex mechanisms.