Division of Biological Sciences University of California, San Diego / La Jolla, CA
My current research is focused on understanding the neural circuit mechanism underlying the specific activation of neuronal ensembles by sensory stimuli in the mammalian cortex.
I grew up in a small town in Hunan Province, China. Both my parents are physicians. In high school, I chanced upon the book, What Mad Pursue by Francis Crick; I was attracted to Dr. Crick’s passion for the “study of life,” and intrigued by the complexity and sophistication of biological systems. I went on to major in biology at Fudan University.
During my senior year, I became interested in neuroscience, and decided to pursuit my graduate study in the US. My graduate research at Baylor College of Medicine focused on the molecular mechanism of synaptic transmission, the process by which neurons communicate with each other.
Now I am extending my scientific interest into the synaptic mechanisms of neural circuit operation in health and disease. In my free time, I like to watch sports, play with our cats and, occasionally, help my wife in her garden.