2000- 2003　HFSP Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California (UC) at Berkeley, USA. Advisor: Dr. Mu-Ming Poo


1999 – 2000　Postdoctoral Fellow, UC San Diego. Advisor: Dr. Mu-Ming Poo


1994 – 1999　Ph.D. in Neurobiology, Shanghai Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). Advisor: Prof. Pei-hong Zhu


1990 – 1994　B. Sc in Biology, Hangzhou University

2013 -　　Professor, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience & Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University


2018 -　　Principal Investigator (PI), IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University


2007 – 2013　PI & Group Leader, Institute of Neuroscience (ION), CAS


2003 – 2007　Associate Investigator & Group Leader, ION, CAS

Neuronal circuits of the neocortex and hippocampus are the fundamental base for high brain functions, including sensory information processing, learning and memory formation. Our research interests are focused on neuronal circuit mechanisms underlying learning & memory, sensory processing and experience-dependent plasticity of the brain. In the past 7 years, we have discovered: (1) distinct neocortex-to-hippocampal circuits for associative learning and memory (Nature Neuroscience, 2017, cover story; Cell 2020); (2) distinct local circuits driving different rhythmic network activity during sensory processing (Neuron 2017, selected as one of Cell-Press Five Papers of the Year China); (3) the cortical inhibitory circuits that gate the early experience-induced plasticity during the critical postnatal period for brain function development (Sci Bullet 2021, Adv Sci 2020, Cell Rep 2015; Nat Commnun 2014, J Neurosci 2014); (4) the arithmetic rules for spatiotemporal integration of (excitatory/inhibitory) synaptic inputs at the dendrite of single principal neurons (PLoS Comput Biol 2014 & 2019; PNAS 2019 & 2009).

1. Zhang Y., Yao L., Li X., Meng M.Z., Shang Z.W., Wang Q., Xiao J., Gu X., Xu Z.H., Zhang X.H.* (2021) Schizophrenia risk-gene Crmp2 deficiency causes precocious critical period plasticity and deteriorated binocular vision. Sci. Bullet. 22:2225-2237.

2. Zhao Z.Q.^#, Shang Z.W.^#, Vasconcelos Z.^#, Li C.F.^#*, Jiang Y.S., Zu S.L., Zhang J.Y., Wang F.C., Yao L., Jung J.U., Brasil P., Moreira M.E., Qin C.F., Kerin T., Nielsen-Saines K.*, Cheng G.H.*, Zhang X.H.*, and Xu Z.H*. (2020) Zika Virus Infection Leads to Variable Defects in Multiple Neurological Functions and Behaviors in Mice and Children. Adva. Sci. 7(18): 1901996, DOI:10.1002/advs.201901996.

3. Zhang Y., and Zhang X.H.* (2021) Portrait of visual cortical circuits for generating neural oscillation dynamics. Cogn. Neurodyn. 15(1): 3-16 (invited review).

4. Sun X.C., Bernstein M.J., Meng M.Z., Rao S.Y., Sørensen A.T., Yao L., Zhang X.H., Anikeeva P. O., and Li Y.X. (2020) Functionally distinct neuronal ensembles within the memory engram. Cell, 181(2): 410-423.

5. Ma X.Y., Zhang Y.Y., Wang L.N., Li N., Barkai E., Zhang X.H., Lin L.N., and Xu J.M. (2020) The firing of theta state related septal cholinergic neurons disrupt hippocampal ripple oscillations via muscarinic receptors. J. Neurosci. 40 (18) 3591-3603.

6. Pi G.L., Gao D., Wu D.Q., Wang Y.L., Lei H.Y., Zeng W.B., Gao Y., Yu H.L., Xiong R., Jiang T., Li S.H., Wang X., Guo J., Zhang S., Yin T.Y., He T., Ke D., Li R.N., Li, H.L., Liu G.P., Yang Y.F., Luo M.H., Zhang X.H., Yang Y., and Wang Z.J. (2020) Posterior basolateral amygdala to ventral hippocampal CA1 drives approach behaviour to exert an anxiolytic effect. Nat. Commun. 11, 183, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13919-3.

7. Li S.T., Liu N. Zhang X.H.*, McLaughlin D.*, Zhou D.*, and Cai D. (2019) Dendritic computations captured by an effective point neuron model. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 116 (30): 15244-15252.

8. Li S.T., Liu N., Yao L., Zhang X.H.*, Zhou D.*, and Cai D. (2019) Determination of effective synaptic conductances using somatic voltage clamp. PLoS Comput. Biol. 15(3):e1006871 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006871.

9. Li X., Li Y.D., Zhang J.H.*, and Zhang X.H.* (2019) Selective targeting of perirhinal cortex projection to hippocampal CA1 interneurons. Neurosci. Bullet. 35: 763-765.

10. Wang S.#, Tan N.D.#, Zhu X.L., Yao M.H., Zhang X.H.*, and Xu Z.H.* (2018) Sh3rf2 haploinsufficiency leads to unilateral neuronal development deficits and autistic-like behaviors in mice. Cell Rep. 25: 2963-2971, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2018.11.044.

11. Chen G., Zhang Y., Li X., Zhao X.C., Ye Q., Lin Y.X., Tao H.Z., Rasch M.J.*, and Zhang X.H.* (2017) Distinct inhibitory circuits orchestrate cortical beta and gamma band oscillations. Neuron 96: 1403–1418 (selected as Cell Press Paper of the Year 2017-China, one of the 5 papers in the Life Science Research).

12. Li Y.D., Xu J.M., Liu Y.F., Zhu J., Liu N., Zeng W.B., Huang N., Rasch M.J., Jiang H.F., Gu X., Li X., Luo M.H., Li C.Y., Teng J.L., Chen J.G., Zeng S.Q., Lin L.N., and Zhang X.H.* (2017) A distinct entorhinal cortex to hippocampal CA1 direct circuit for olfactory associative learning. Nat. Neurosci. 20:559–570 (The cover story).

13. Miao Q.L., Yao L., Malte J.R., Ye Q., Li X. and Zhang X.H.* (2016) Selective maturation of temporal dynamics of intracortical excitatory transmission at the critical period onset. Cell Rep. 16, 1677–1689, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.013.

14. Liu Y.G.^#, Miao Q.L. ^#, Yuan J.C, Rao Z.P., Ye Q., Geng J.L., Zhang. X.H.*, and Cheng L.P.* (2015) Ascl1 converts dorsal midbrain astrocytes into functional neurons in vivo. J. Neurosci. 35(25): 9336-9355 (^#: equal contribution).

15. Chen G., Rasch M.J., Wang R. and Zhang X.H.* (2015) Experience-dependent emergence of beta and gamma band oscillations in the primary visual cortex during the critical period. Sci Rep. 5, 17847; doi: 10.1038/srep17847.

16. He L.J., Liu N., Chen T.L., Chen X.J., Li Y.D., Shu Y.S., Qiu Z.L., and Zhang X.H.* (2014) Conditional deletion of MeCP2 in parvalbumin-expressing GABAergic cells results in absence of critical period plasticity. Nat. Commun. 5:5036 doi: 10.1038/ncomms6036.

17. Chen X.J., Rasch M., Chen G., Wu S., and Zhang X.H.* (2014) Binocular input coincidence mediates the critical period plasticity of developing mouse visual cortex. J. Neurosci. 34(8): 2940-2955.

18. Wang J.Y., Chen F., Fu X.Q., Ding C.S., Zhou L., Zhang X.H., and Luo Z.G.* (2014) Caspase-3 cleavage of dishevelled induces elimination of postsynaptic structures. Dev. Cell 28, 670–684.

19. Meng F.X., Chen S.Y., Miao Q.L., Zhou K.C., Lao Q.C., Zhang X.H., Guo W.Y., Jiao J.W. (2012) Induction of fibroblasts to neurons through adenoviral gene delivery. Cell Res. 22:436–440.

20. Zhang X.H., Bi G. Q, and Duan S.M, (2012) Progress of the neural plasticity researches in China. In “Neuroscience section – Annual Review of Biological Sciences in China”; Scientific Press: Beijing, pp: 107-123. (in Chinese).

21.  Gong L.Q., He L.J., Dong Z.Y., Lu X.H., Poo M.M.*, and Zhang X.H.* (2011) Post-induction requirement of NMDA receptor activation for late phase long-term potentiation of developing retinotectal synapses in vivo. J. Neurosci. 31: 3328-3335.

22.  Zhang X.H.*, and Poo M.M. (2010) Progress in neural plasticity (in China). Sci. China Life Sci. 53: 322-329. (Invited review in the special issue: Neuroscience in China 2000-2009)

23.  Ye C.Q., Poo M. M., Dan Y.* and Zhang X.H.* (2010) Synaptic mechanisms of direction selectivity in primary auditory cortex. J. Neurosci. 30: 1861-1868.