Dysfunction of the neural circuits of innate behavior leads to pathological behaviors, such as sleep disorders, obesity and anorexia. Our team use in vivo multi-channel recording, in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, pharmacogenetics, viral tracer combined with spatial transcriptome, behavioral testing to study how sleep affects feeding behaviors and emotion, and explore central targets and drug screening for the treatment of sleep disorders, obesity and emotion-related diseases.
2023-Future (PI)
1. Discover the neural mechanism by which food intake affects sleep
People often have the experience of feeling sleepy after a full meal, which is actually a regulatory response of the brain to changes in energy status. Our laboratory is dedicated to studying the neural mechanisms of postprandial sleepiness, exploring how the brain perceives satiety signals and regulates the states of wakefulness and sleep.
2. The neuro-metabolic mechanism of anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a mental disorder characterized by extreme restriction of diet and severe weight loss. It is often accompanied by anxiety, depression and metabolic disorders, and in severe cases, it can even endanger life. Our laboratory focuses on the neuro-metabolic mechanisms underlying its occurrence, studying how the brain regulates appetite and energy balance, and its dysfunction in abnormal states. By analyzing key neural circuits and metabolic signals, we aim to reveal the biological basis of anorexia nervosa and provide scientific evidence for early intervention and individualized treatment.
3. The neural circuit mechanism underlying rapid eye movement sleep
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep is a specific stage in the sleep cycle, usually accompanied by dreaming, enhanced brain activity, rapid eye movements and decreased muscle tension. REM sleep is not only crucial for emotional regulation and memory consolidation, but also closely related to various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Our laboratory is dedicated to studying the neural circuits and neurotransmitter mechanisms underlying REM sleep, which helps to deepen our understanding of the nature of sleep.
4. The strategy of lipid nanoparticles treating obesity by targeting neural circuitry
Obesity is not only the result of an imbalance between energy intake and consumption, but is also closely related to the neural circuits in the brain that regulate appetite and metabolism. Our laboratory is exploring the use of nanoparticles as carriers to precisely deliver small molecule drugs to specific brain regions or neural circuits, thereby interfering with abnormal neural activities, regulating eating behavior and energy metabolism, and providing innovative approaches for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
2015-2023 (POSTDOC)
1. Neural mechanism of AgRP neurons regulating energy metabolism
2. AgRP neurons regulate the neural circuitry underlying the comorbidity of obesity and depression
3. The dopamine circuit alleviates obesity by increasing satiety
4. AgRP neurons regulate glucose metabolism through the function of leptin receptor
2009-2015 (PhD)
1. For the first time, using optogenetics, specific activation of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain can awaken mice in slow-wave sleep
2. The long-term synaptic plasticity of barrel cortex in rats
3. The role of astrocytic CX43 in the neural plasticity of barrel cortex