Dr. Jie Tu graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees from Zhejiang University, and obtained her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Hong Kong. She subsequently joined the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she served as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Currently, she is a Principal Investigator and Deputy Director at the Institute of Brain Cognition and Brain Disorders, as well as Deputy Director of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science. Her primary research focus is on the neural mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. She serves as an editorial board member for international academic journals such as GLIA and holds the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the Women Scientists Committee of the Chinese Society for Neuroscience.

Mental health issues are highly prevalent globally, with more than 10% of the world’s population, or hundreds of millions of people, experiencing some form of mental health problem during their lifetime. Astrocytes, through their complex interactions with neurons, have a profound impact on neural networks and behavior. Understanding the specific regulatory mechanisms of astrocytes in different brain regions is crucial for comprehending and treating various mental disorders. Dr. Tu Jie’s research team has long focused on investigating the neural circuits, cellular, and molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral abnormalities in mental disorders, exploring the glial cell mechanisms in these conditions.
1.The team elucidated the central nervous system circuit mechanisms of anxiety disorder induced by chronic stress (Molecular Psychiatry, 2021, Corresponding Author), and clarified the role of astrocytes in this process (Neural Regeneration Research, 2024, Main Corresponding Author; Cell Reports, 2017, Co-Author).
2.They described how impaired “astrocyte-neuron” interactions in specific neural circuits lead to cognitive and behavioral abnormalities associated with mental disorders (Neuron, 2024, Main Corresponding Author).
3.The team explored the molecular mechanisms behind impaired “glial cell-neuron” interactions and proposed that neuronal autophagic flux is regulated by ubiquitin homeostasis, with its imbalance contributing to cognitive and emotional dysfunctions (Autophagy, 2025, Main Corresponding Author).

1.Gaojie Shao#, Dan Liu#, Zijun Liu, Qian Xiao, Qing Shang, Hongyan Qian, Jie Tu*, Xinshe Liu*. CaMKII neurons in the dentate gyrus are involved in regulating cognitive impairment in mice induced by stress caused by violence. International Journal of Molecular Science, 2025; On-line.
2.Zhang ZG#, Chen S#, Jun SR#, Xu XR, Hong YC, Yang XF, Zou LY, Song YQ*, Chen Yu*, Tu J*. MLKL/USP7/UBA52 signaling is indispensable for autophagy in brain through maintaining ubiquitin homeostasis. Autophagy 2025 Feb; 21(2): 424-446.
3.Zhou XY#, Xiao Q#, Liu YH, Chen S, Xu XR, Zhang ZG, Hong YC, Shao J, Chen YW, Chen Y, Wang LP*, Yang F*, Tu J*. Astrocyte-mediated regulation of BLAWFS1 neurons alleviates risk-assessment deficits in DISC1-N mice. Neuron 2024; Jul 3;112(13):2197-2217.
4. Xu XR，Xuan SM, Chen S, Liu D, Xiao Q*, Tu J*. Increased EAAT2 levels in BLA astrocytes mediated chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Neural Regeneration Research 2025 Jun; 20 (6): 1721-1735.
5. Xiao Q#, Zhou X#, Wei P#, Xie L, Han Y, Wang J, Cai A, Xu F, Tu J*, Wang L*. A new GABAergic somatostatin projection from the BNST onto accumbal parvalbumin neurons controls anxiety. Molecular Psychiatry 2021; Sep;26(9):4719-4741.
6. Zhang ZG, Yang XF, Song YQ*, Tu J*. Autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis: Therapeutic potential and future perspectives. Aging Research Reviews 2021; Dec; 72: 101464. (Review)
7. Zhou XY#, Wu BF#, Liu WH#, Xiao Q, He W, Zhou Y, Wei PF, Zhang X, Liu Y, Wang J, He JF, Zhang ZG, Li WD, Wang LP, Tu J*. Reduced firing of accumbal parvalbumin interneurons causes impairment of risk avoidance in DISC1 transgenic mice. Neuroscience Bulletin 2021; Sep;37(9):1325-1338.
8. Xu XR, Xiao Q, Hong YC, Liu YH, Liu Y, Tu J*. Activation of dopaminergic VTA inputs to the mPFC ameliorate chronic stress-induced breast tumor progression. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics 2021; 27(2):206-219.
9. Wang J, Tu J, Cao B, Mu L, Yang XW, Cong M, Ramkrishnan AS, Chan HM, Wang LP*, Li Y*. Astrocytic L-Lactate Signaling Facilitates Amygdala-Anterior Cingulate Cortex Synchrony and Decision Making in Rats. Cell Reports 2017; 21(9): 2407-2418. 
10. Yang F#, Liu Y#, Tu J#, Wan J, Zhang J, Wu B, Chen S, Zhou J, Mu Y, Wang L. Activated astrocytes enhance the dopaminergic differentiation of stem cells and promote brain repair through bFGF. Nature Communications 2014; Dec 17;5: 5627.

Prof. Jie TU has undertaken several research programs. These include two General Programs and an International Cooperation Project from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, a project under the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, a Key International Cooperation Project from the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, and a Shenzhen Medical Research Special Fund project.