Lab Leader: Tian-Le Xu

Lab Name: Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Signaling

Lab Info：Our laboratory is dedicated to the interpretation of brain cognitive principles and basic clinical translational research. At the microscopic scale, we aim to elucidate the signal transduction mechanisms of neuronal cells and their physiological functions, and to investigate the role and mechanisms of the novel ion channel ASIC in synaptic plasticity and learning memory. We also explore the abnormal mechanism of ion channels and neural signaling and novel interventions in stroke, chronic pain and related emotional disorders. At the mesoscopic scale, we study the long-range and local circuit mechanisms of "emotion (e.g., fear, happiness)-mood-empathy" and their interactions with memory, attention and social behavior from the perspective of "memory engram" to inspire new techniques of precise neuromodulation.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Nan-jie Xu

Lab Name: Laboratory of Neural Development and Brain Dysfunction

Lab Info：Our laboratory focus on receptor signaling in neuronal connections and synaptic formation, and the pathogenesis of neurological disorders.

1. Adult neural stem cell development and neural function

Neural stem cells/progenitor cells and neural progenitor cells play a key role in the maintenance and renewal of neural circuits. Our works aim to interpret receptor signals in adult neural stem cells, and elucidate the regulatory effect of environmental stimuli on the fate of neural stem cell.

2. Formation and function of neural circuits

Our study is to clarify how long-distance neural circuits integrate external signals into cognitive and emotional nuclei in the brain and how these nuclei communicate to modulate higher neural activities such as emotion, reward, social behavior, learning and memory.

3. Molecular and cellular mechanisms for mental disorders

By using the models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, we investigate the key roles of Eph/ephrin receptors mediated signals, which could reveal the neural and molecular mechanisms of brain diseases.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Xiaoping Tong

Lab Name: Laboratory of Glial Cell Biology and the Roles of Glia in Brain Disorders

Lab Info：The research interests of the lab mainly foucs on: 1, Glial cells biological functions and the brain cognition; 2, Pathological mechanisms of glial cells in neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Glial cells constitute roughly half the volume of the central nervous system of mammals, and divide primarily into astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes and NG2 glia in the brain. Glial cell mainly provide nutrition and tropic support to neurons as well as clear the metabolites and maintain the homeostasis of extracellular environment. Most importantly, glial cells actively interact with neurons either by release of a series of signaling molecules or forming synaptic connections to integrate into the neural circuits and impact on the brain functions. With the help of a variety of transgenic mice, advanced techniques and animal disease models, our research group aims to systematically investigate how glial cells integrate into the neural circuits and perform their functions under physiological and pathological conditions, which provides new perspective in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases to help the acceleration of the transformation of basic medicine into clinical therapy.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Qian Li

Lab Name: Laboratory of Olfactory Physiology and Pathology

Lab Info：Using the mouse olfactory system as a model, Dr. Qian Li’s laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms regulating development of olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations and trascription of expressed olfactory receptor genes. We are also interested in elucidating the function of olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations, and how the olfactory dysfunction impacts emotion and cognition. Our current research projects focus on: 1) the role of epigenetics and 3D genomic structures in regulating the singular olfactory receptor gene choice in olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations. 2) the molecular and structural basis for specific odorant recognition and animal behaviors mediated by distinct olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations. 3) the link between olfactory dysfunction and emotion.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Siyu Zhang

Lab Name: Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Cognitive Behavior

Lab Info：Our lab focuses on the investigation of the neuronal circuit and cognitive behavior. We develop new mouse models to investigate selective attention and decision making, and dissect the underlying circuit mechanisms of these cognitive behaviors. We combine virus-assisted circuit mapping, in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo Ca2+ imaging, and cell-type-specific optogenetic manipulation to understand the neuronal circuit and cognitive behavior.

Our study includes:

1. Anatomic connectome of attention- and decision-making circuit

We use various viral tools to dissect the anatomic connectomes of cell-type-specific and target-region-specific neuronal subtypes and use our custom-written software package to process the digitized brain images. Detected signals were quantified across the whole brain and projected to the 3D reference atlas for better visualization.

2. Functional connectome of attention- and decision-making circuit

Based on the cognitive behavior mouse model and the anatomic analysis of the related circuits, we combine the tools indicated above to investigate how the long-range projections recruit different types of neurons in the local circuit to exert their function and how neuromodulators modulate these processes.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Ju Huang

Lab Name: Laboratory of Neuroscience in Behavior and Emotion

Lab Info：Our lab has long been committed to the research of neural-circuit and molecular-level mechanisms of innate behavior and emotion regulation, with a series of research achievements in the functional roles of disease-related proteins, epigenetic regulation, as well as the neural circuits mediating the interaction between different innate behaviors. Our studies have identified the novel mechanisms for: feeding and appetite regulation; epigenetic regulation of feeding behavior; interaction between feeding and thermoregulation; synaptic plasticity by protein degradation. Our current research has been working on the unsolved scientific questions in the field of "innate behavior and emotion regulation", focusing on the mechanisms mediating the impact of repetitive behavior on emotional regulation, the role of disease-related proteins, and the intervention and treatment of stereotyped repetitive behavior. Thus, it would provide a new perspective for our understanding in the neurobiological mechanisms in emotional regulation through behavior.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Lu Jiangteng

Lab Name: Laboratory of Assembly and Operation of Prefrontal Cortical Circuits

Lab Info：Research in Lu Lab aims to (1) analyze the structure and function of neural circuits in prefrontal cortex based on cell typing; (2) Dissect the Cytological and neural circuits mechanisms of synaptic inhibition at the axon initial segment.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Han Qi

Lab Name: Laboratory of Neural Metabolism & Brain Health

Lab Info：The brain is the most hungry organ in the body. Though it holds 2% of total body mass, it consumes up to 20% of the body’s total haul. These features make mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells, both a critical element of brain cells and a potential source of problems. Although mitochondrial damage appears in a wide range of brain disorders, recent findings suggest that it covers the other unrecognized mechanisms involved beyond brain energy crisis. In this regard, we use a wide variety of approaches and cutting-edge techniques, including molecular, cellular, neural-circuit, bioinformatic and metabolomic tools, to investigate the mechanism of mitochondria shaped by brain state and in turn the impact of mitochodnrial damage on brain disease, including

1) Neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism,

2) Neuroregenerative failure like axon injury,

3) Neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS,

4) Mental illnesses like depression.

We hope our findings would shed light on new therapeutics that target mitochondria may benefit neuropathological patients.

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Weiqun Fang

Lab Name: Laboratory of Cognitive Regulation & Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Lab Info：Neuronal ensembles are recognized as basic functional building blocks of the brain.  The Fang laboratory investigates how ensembles’ structural and functional plasticity regulates cognition and behavior, mainly focusing on visual perception and visually-guided behaviors.  Our group explores ensemble-regulating mechanisms by various cell types, signaling pathways and critical periods in normal and diseased brains.   We then leverage the knowledge to guide precise interrogation on ensembles with all-optical approaches to reshape cognition and drive behavior.

Main directions:

1) Exploring ensembles’ structural and functional development and their cellular crosstalk mechanisms;

2) Investigating ensemble mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction and behavioral maladaptation arising from neurodevelopmental abnormality;

3) Developing new optical imaging and circuit manipulating approaches to reshape ensembles for regulating cognition and behaviors.

Key techniques:

In vivo two-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, photochemistry (e.g. two-photon glutamate uncaging), in utero electroporation

Lab Members:

Lab Leader: Weifang Rong

Lab Name: Laboratory of Autonomic Neuroscience and Gut-Brain Axis

Lab Info：The Lab of Autonomic Neuroscience and Gut-Brain axis is led by Professor Weifang Rong, who currently serves as Deputy Head of Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiaotong University. We are interested in the mechanisms underlying gut-brain interaction and the implications in health and disease. At the present, our research is being focused on: 1) The expression and function of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor in the the gut and the brain; 2) Pharmacological mechanisms of drugs acting on the Gut-Brain Axis; 3) The neuro-iimmune-endocrine network of the gut.

Lab Members: