现代神经科学急缺对复杂而有序的大脑环路功能性的理解。我们实验室关注的问题包括：在 行为中的动物，脑内神经元是如何组织和连接的？这些连接是如何对脑功能作出贡献的？脑的功能是如何调控神经元连接的？我们将组合利用各种技术来完成相关的 研究，包括在体全细胞记录，神经元活动性的多道细胞外记录，钙成像，免疫组织化学，光激活的离子通道（即光遗传技术）等。我们还将使用限制头运动的或者自 由运动的动物标本作为研究对象。我们特别对以下问题或假说感兴趣：

1. 什么是单个神经元高频冲动发放、引起大脑震荡状态改变的神经元环路基础？
2. 什么是前额叶等脑区在工作记忆中保持神经元“延迟相关联的持续活动”的环路基础？
3. 在行为上重要的震荡模式，例如慢波，alpha，或者是gamma震荡，是否可以、并且是如何调控神经元的连接的？
4. 局部或者长距离的神经元环路中，特定的神经元连接是否可以、并且是如何被记忆的不同阶段（获取，巩固，与恢复使用）所动态调控的？
5. 某些社会行为的功能环路。

这些方面的研究对于揭示神经性疾病的机制、制造更好的脑与机器接口、以及对人类大脑的理解，都有重要作用。我们相信，探索行为中的精细神经元环路是当代神经科学最为紧迫的任务。我们接受挑战。

Research Interest

In modern neuroscience, what is desperately needed is the functional knowledge of the highly organized brain circuitry. Our lab will work on the questions of how neurons are connected in behaving animals, how connectivity contributes to the function of brain, and how functioning of brain modulate neural connection. We will use combined approaches of in vivo whole cell recordings, multi-channel extracellular recording of neuronal activities, calcium imaging, immunohistochemistry, optogenetical tools, etc. in head-restrained and free-moving preparation of behaving animals. We are particularly interesting in the following questions:

1. What the circuitry mechanisms are for single neuron bursting induced modification of oscillatory brain state.
2. What the circuitry mechanisms are for delay related persistent activity for working memory in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and other brain regions.
3. Whether and how the behaviorally important oscillation patterns, such as slow wave, alpha, or gamma oscillation, modulate neural connection. 
4. Whether and how the strength of certain connection in circuitry can be dynamically modulated in different phases of learning and memory, such as memory acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval.
5. Functional circuitry in certain social behavior.

代表性论文:

1. Li, C.Y., Poo, M.M., and Dan, Y. (2009) Burst Spiking of a Single Cortical Neuron Modifies Global Brain State. Science, 324: 643-646.
2. Lu, J.T., Li, C.Y., Zhao, J.P., Zhang, X.H. and Poo, M.M. (2007) Target-cell type specific spike timing-dependent modifications of excitatory synapses on GABAergic interneurons in somatosensory cortex. J. Neuroscience, 27(36):9711-20.
3. Li, C.Y., Lu, J.T., Wu, C.P., Duan, S.M., and Poo, M.M. (2004). Bi-directional modification of presynaptic neuronal excitability accompanying spike timing-dependent synaptic plasticity. Neuron, 41: 257-268.