Department of Pharmacy, Gansu Provincial Hospital | China
Dr. Gao Jinxian is an Associate Chief Pharmacist specializing in neuropharmacology, with a research focus spanning sleep neuroscience, analgesic mechanisms, and early-life neurodevelopment. His recent work centers on the neural circuitry of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and the developmental characteristics of ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves. Through electrophysiological and behavioral approaches, he has investigated how PGO wave ontogeny contributes to sleep regulation and dreaming, producing influential publications in Sleep and Brain Sciences. Dr. Gao has also contributed significantly to understanding REM sleep functions in early life, including co–first authorship on a comprehensive review in IJERPH. Earlier in his career, he conducted extensive research on analgesic pharmacology. His studies explored the antinociceptive effects and molecular mechanisms of compounds such as oxy-sophoridine and ginsenoside Rd, focusing on GABA receptor modulation, GAT-1 transporter regulation, and PKCγ-related signaling pathways. These findings have been published in journals including Planta Medica and Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin. Dr. Gao has served as principal investigator on multiple national and provincial grants, including a National Natural Science Foundation project on REM sleep behavior disorder mechanisms. His work has earned several regional scientific awards and recognition for outstanding contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featured Publications
1. Gao, J. X., Wang, X. B., Ren, Y. L., Huang, Q. L., Chu, W. W., Xie, J. F., Xie, Y. P., Spruyt, K., Shao, Y. F., & Hou, Y. P. (2025). Ontogenetic development of ponto-geniculo-occipital waves during paradoxical sleep in kittens. Sleep, zsaf032.
2. Gao, J. X., Yan, G., Li, X. X., Xie, J. F., Spruyt, K., Shao, Y. F., & Hou, Y. P. (2023). The ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves in dreaming: An overview. Brain Sciences, 13(9), 1350.
3. Chen, H. L., Gao, J. X., Chen, Y. N., Xie, J. F., Spruyt, K., Lin, J. S., Shao, Y. F., & Hou, Y. P. (2022). Rapid eye movement sleep during early life: A comprehensive narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13101.
4. Yang, G., Gao, J., Jia, Y., Lin, Y., Yu, J., & Jiang, Y. * (2012). Oxy-sophoridine through intrathecal injection induces antinociception and increases the expression of the GABAα1 receptor in the spinal cord of mice. Planta Medica, 10(2), 408–414.
5. Gao, J. X., Zhang, X. J., Yu, J. Q., & Jiang, Y. X. * (2017). Effects of oxy-sophoridine on GAT-1 expression in the brain of formalin-induced pain model mice. Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin, 33(3), 407–411.