Research

In the past decade, the group has been working on the development of virus-based tools for neuro-circuits. By combining current advances in the related fields, such as neurobiology, molecular & cellular biology, virology, neuroimaging and bioengineering, the laboratory has been focused on developing virus-based tools that are of low toxic, high sensitivity, flexible, simple, cell specific, spread direction and range controllable labeling of neuro-circuit in various type of species. Hundreds the tracers have been commercialized and used broadly. In addition, more attentions are being paid to the development of vectors for therapeutical purposes.

Biography

BS (1983) and MS (1986) in chemistry from Lanzhou University;
PhDs (chemistry, 1994; and physiology, 1998) from the University of Kentucky;
Postdoctoral fellow (1998-2001), Yale University;
Associate Research Scientist (2002-2007), MRRC, Yale Medical School;
Professor, WIPM (2007-), and SIAT (2019-), CAS;
Awardee, “Outstanding Young Scientist” (2007, NSFC) ;
Board of Directors (2008-2014) and Standing Board of Directors (2015-), CNS

Selected publications

1. Cai A^#, Zheng N^#, Thompson GJ, Wu Y, Nie B, Lin K, Su P, Wu J, Manyande A, Zhu L, Wang J*, Xu F*. Longitudinal neural connection detection using a ferritin-encoding adeno-associated virus vector and in vivo MRI method. Hum Brain Mapp. 2021 Oct 15;42(15):5010-5022.
2. Xu F^#, Shen Y^#, Ding L^#, Yang C^#, Tan H, Wang H, Zhu Q, Xu R, Wu F, Xiao Y, Xu C, Li Q, Su P, Zhang L, Dong H, Desimone R, Xu F, Hu X, Lau P*, Bi G*. High-throughput mapping of a whole rhesus monkey brain at micrometer resolution. Nat Biotechnol. 2021 Jul 26. Epub ahead of print.
3. Mohammad H^#，*, Senol E^#, Graf M, Lee CY, Li Q, Liu Q, Yeo XY, Wang M, Laskaratos A, Xu F, Luo SX, Jung S, Augustine GJ, Fu Y*. A neural circuit for excessive feeding driven by environmental context in mice. Nature Neuroscience. 2021 Jun 24;24(8):1132-1141.
4. Xu F^#, Zhou L^#, Wang X, Jia F, Ma K, Wang N, Lin L, Xu F, Shen Y*.Magneto is ineffective in controlling electrical properties of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Sep 30;23(9):1041-1043.
5. Zhang X^#, Lei B^#, Yuan Y^#, Zhang L^#, Hu L, Jin S, Kang B, Liao X, Sun W, Xu F, Zhong Y*, Hu J*, Qi H*.Brain control of humoral immune responses amenable to behavioural modulation. Nature. 2020 April 29;581(7807):204-208.
6. Zheng N^#, Su P^#, Liu Y, Wang H, Nie B, Fang X, Xu Y, Lin K, Lv P, He X, Guo Y, Shan B, Manyande A, Wang J*, Xu F*.Detection of neural connections with ex vivo MRI using a ferritin-encoding trans-synaptic virus. Neuroimage. 2019 Aug 15;197:133-142.
7. Zhou Z^#, Liu X^#, Chen S, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Montardy Q, Tang Y, Wei P, Liu N, Li L, Song R, Lai J, He X, Chen C, Bi G, Feng G, Xu F*, Wang L*.A VTA GABAergic Neural Circuit Mediates Visually Evoked Innate Defensive Responses. Neuron. 2019 Aug 7;103(3):473-488.e6.
8. Dong P^#, Wang H^#, Shen X, Jiang P, Zhu X, Li Y, Gao J, Lin S, HuangY, He X, Xu F, Duan S, Lian H, Wang H, Chen J, Li X*. A novel cortico-intrathalamic circuit for flight behavior. Nat Neurosci. 2019 Apr 29;22(6):941-949.
9. Huang L^#, Xi Y^#, Peng Y, Yang Y, Huang X^#, Fu Y, Tao Q, Xiao J, Yuan T, An K, Zhao H, Pu M, Xu F, Xue T, Luo M, So KF^#, Ren C*. A Visual Circuit Related to Habenula Underlies the Antidepressive Effects of Light Therapy. Neuron. 2019 Apr 3;102(1):128-142.e8.
10. Li Y^#, Li C^#, Xi W, Jin S, Wu Z, Jiang P, Dong P, He X, Xu F, Duan S, Zhou Y, Li X*.Rostral and Caudal Ventral Tegmental Area GABAergic Inputs to Different Dorsal Raphe Neurons Participate in Opioid Dependence. Neuron. 2019 Feb 20;101(4):748-761.e5.
11. Yao J, Zhang Q, Liao X, Li Q, Liang S, Li X, Zhang Y, Li X, Wang H, Qin H, Wang M, Li J, Zhang J, He W, Zhang W, Li T, Xu F, Gong H, Jia H, Xu X*, Yan J*, Chen X*.A corticopontine circuit for initiation of urination. Nat Neurosci. 2018 Oct 25;21(11):1541-1550.
12. Grobman M, Dalal T, Lavian H, Shmuel R, Belelovsky K, Xu F, Korngreen A, Haddad R*. A Mirror-Symmetric Excitatory Link Coordinates Odor Maps across Olfactory Bulbs and Enables Odor Perceptual Unity. Neuron. 2018 Aug 22;99(4):800-813.e6.
13. Zhou H^#, Xiong G^#, Jing L^#, Song N^#, Pu D, Tang X, He X, Xu F, Huang J, Li L, Richter-Levin G, Mao R, Zhou Q*, Ding Y*, Xu L*. The interhemispheric CA1 circuit governs rapid generalisation but not fear memory. Nat Commun. 2017 Dec 19;8(1):2190.
14. Zhang Z^#, Liu Q^#, Wen P, Zhang J, Rao X, Zhou Z, Zhang H, He X, Li J, Zhou Z, Xu X, Zhang X, Luo R, Lv G, Li H, Cao P, Wang L, Xu F*.Activation of the dopaminergic pathway from VTA to the medial olfactory tubercle generates odor-preference and reward. Elife. 2017 Dec 18;6:e25423.
15. Wu R*, Liu Y, Wang L, Li B, Xu F*.Activity Patterns Elicited by Airflow in the Olfactory Bulb and Their Possible Functions. J Neurosci. 2017 Nov 1;37(44):10700-10711.
16. Huang L, Yuan T, Tan M, Xi Y, Hu Y, Tao Q, Zhao Z, Zheng J, Han Y, Xu F, Luo M, Sollars PJ, Pu M, Pickard GE, So KF*, Ren C*. A retinoraphe projection regulates serotonergic activity and looming-evoked defensive behaviour. Nat Commun. 2017 Mar 31;8:14908.
17. Yang L^#, Dong F^#, Yang Q, Yang P, Wu R, Wu Q, Wu D, Li C, Zhong Y, Lu Y, Cheng X,Xu F, Chen L, Bao L, Zhang X*. FGF13 Selectively Regulates Heat Nociception by Interacting with Na_v7. Neuron. 2017 Feb 22;93(4):806-821.e9.
18. Yang Y^#, Wang Z^#, Jin S^#, Gao D, Liu N, Chen S, Zhang S, Liu Q, Liu E, Wang X, Liang X, Wei P, Li X, Li Y, Yue C, Li H, Wang Y, Wang Q, Ke D, Xie Q,Xu F, Wang L*, Wang J*. Opposite monosynaptic scaling of BLP–vCA1 inputs governs hopefulness- and helplessness-modulated spatial learning and memory. Nat Commun. 2016 Jul 14;7:11935.
19. Yang H^#, Yang J^#, Xi W, Hao S, Luo B, He X, Zhu L, Lou H, Yu YQ, Xu F, Duan S*, Wang H*. Laterodorsal tegmentum interneuron subtypes oppositely regulate olfactory cue-induced innate fear. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Feb;19(2):283-9.