Many brain functions emerge from the intricate interplay of highly distributed local functional networks. However, the lack of tools capable of capturing whole-brain network activity with high spatiotemporal resolution has long hindered our understanding of these large-scale functional networks.

To address this challenge, we have pioneered a series of advanced optical and computational methodologies, continuously enhancing the spatiotemporal throughput, accuracy, and imaging depth limits of large-scale in vivo neural recordings while deepening our understanding of computational models of neural circuits. Leveraging these technologies, we are committed to exploring the following key questions:

• Information Theory and Computation: How is sensory information encoded, transformed, and represented across different processing hierarchies in the mammalian brain?

• Systems Neuroscience: How do neural representations interact with internal states—such as motivation, attention, and memory—to drive specific behavioral outputs?

• Brain-Inspired Intelligence: How can insights into brain function be harnessed to optimize the development of artificial neural networks?

• Zhang Y*#, Roy DS*#, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Aida T, Hou Y, Shen C, Lea NE, Schroeder ME, Skaggs KM, Sullivan HA, Fischer KB, Callaway EM, Wickersham IR, Dai J, Li XM, Lu Z, Feng G#, “Targeting thalamic circuits rescues motor and mood deficits in PD mice”, Nature, 2022.
• Roy DS*#, Zhang Y*#, Aida T, Shen C, Skaggs KM, Hou Y, Fleishman M, Mosto O, Weninger A, Feng G#, “Anterior thalamic circuits crucial for working memory”, PNAS, 2022.
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• Roy DS*, Zhang Y*, Aida T, Choi S, Chen Q, Hou Y, Lea NE, Skaggs KM, Quay JC, Liew M, Maisano H, Le V, Jones C, Xu J, Kong D, Sullivan HA, Saunders A, McCarroll SA, Wickersham IR, Feng G, “Anterior thalamic dysfunction underlies cognitive deficits in a subset of neuropsychiatric disease models”, Neuron, 2021.
• Zhang Y*, Zhu Y*, Cao SX*, Sun P, Yang JM, Xia YF, Xie SZ, Yu XD, Fu JY, Shen CJ, He HY, Pan HQ, Chen XJ, Wang H, Li XM, “MeCP2 in cholinergic interneurons of nucleus accumbens regulates fear learning”, Elife, 2020.
• Cao SX*, Zhang Y*, Hu XY, Hong B, Sun P, He HY, Geng HY, Bao AM, Duan SM, Yang JM, Gao TM, Lian H, Li XM, “ErbB4 deletion in noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus induces mania-like behavior via elevated catecholamines”, Elife, 2018.
• Zhang Y*, Cao SX*, Sun P, He HY, Yang CH, Chen XJ, Shen CJ, Wang XD, Chen Z, Berg D, Duan SM, Li XM, “Loss of MeCP2 in cholinergic neurons causes part of RTT-like phenotypes via a7 receptor in hippocampus”, Cell Research, 2016.