Leadership Profile: Xinxin Ding, ASPET Councilor

Leadership Profile

A Conversation with ASPET Councilor Xinxin Ding, PhD

Dr. Xinxin Ding is the Secretary/TreasurerElect for 2022-2023. He began his role on July 1, 2022. He is currently the editor of ASPET’s journal, Drug Metabolism and Disposition. He has been an ASPET member since 1997 and has served in several capacities. Dr. Ding is a professor and head of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. He is also a member of the Bio5 Institute, the University of Arizona Cancer Center, and UA Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center. Prior to joining UA, he held various positions at the University of Michigan, the New York State Department of Health, the State University of New York at Albany, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Ding has been an associate editor for DMD since 2010. He has served as an editorial board member for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, International Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Toxicology, and Current Pharmacology Reports. Dr. Ding has been an associate editor of Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B and Tobacco Regulatory Science. He has published nearly 170 articles and 27 book chapters, review articles, and other publications.

How did you first get involved with ASPET?

I did not get involved with ASPET until 1997, when Dennis Koop and Eddie Morgan recruited me to the DMDD division. They were officers of DMDD around that time. Before that, I’d attend EB meetings, but only as a member of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

What do you want the ASPET membership to know about you and your ideas on how to move the organization forward during your term?

I am passionate about serving the ASPET community. In my new role, I plan to do my best to advance ASPET’s strategic goals. Some of the topics that I am particularly excited about include the opportunity to transform ASPET’s journals to meet the current challenges, reshape the ASPET meetings to enhance ASPET’s financial stability, and expand the reach of ASPET among the next generation of pharmacologists.

What has been your proudest accomplishment in your career so far?

Though I am most comfortable as a researcher, I am proud of my record in serving the research community in a variety of roles, including the current roles in the ASPET council and the editorial board of DMD.

How did you get started in pharmacology?

My degree is in biological chemistry at University of Michigan, but the subject of my thesis research was biochemical pharmacology of drug metabolizing P450 enzymes. My mentor, Jud Coon, had academic appointments in both Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology Departments.

What advice would you give young scientists who are just starting out in their careers?

I would say to young scientists — know your strengths and weaknesses, and do not let your weaknesses prevent you from following your dreams.