Kuan Hong Wang, Ph.D.

A fundamental challenge in neuroscience is to elucidate brain circuit architecture for adaptive control of behavior. Neurodevelopment offers a unique lens to illuminate the emergence of circuit architecture and function, and this approach is increasingly applied to investigate the origins of neurological and psychiatric disorders. The long-term goal of Dr. Wang’s laboratory is to discover the logic and mechanisms connecting the functional organization of brain circuits to their developmental and evolutionary origins, which will ultimately improve brain therapeutic design based on generative principles.

The current research in Dr. Wang’s laboratory encompasses a series of questions on the cerebral cortical circuits involved in adaptive behaviors. For example, how does the frontal cortex organize its long-range connections with other cortical areas to exert executive control of action and perception? How do endogenous and exogenous neurochemicals, such as dopamine and cannabinoid, modulate intercortical communication in both normal and neuropathological states? What are the developmental mechanisms regulating the maturation of long-range intercortical and neuromodulatory projections? How do genetic mutations identified in neurodevelopmental disorders impact the development of cortical circuit architecture and communication? We use both rodent (mouse) and non-human primate (marmoset) models for mechanistic investigation and cross-species comparison, and collaborate with human and clinical scientists for translational application. A variety of innovative technologies for monitoring and manipulation of neural circuits, such as in vivo imaging and electrophysiology, opto/chemogenetic modulation, neuroanatomical circuit tracing, and machine learning-based behavior analysis, are integrated in our laboratory to address these research questions.