The fundamental challenge for systems neuroscience is to explain functions of the brain by studying neuronal activities. While a huge amount of knowledge has been accumulated regarding the behavior of single neurons, it is still far from clear how the brain achieves its remarkable feat as an organ of information processing, as well as how its functions are interrupted in various pathological conditions. To fill such an explanatory gap, we need to understand how numerous neurons, often with different response properties, can form an orchestrated network to perform computation, and how such computation is regulated according to the behavioral context. To develop such an intermediate-level description of neuronal information processing is my long-term goal. To this end, my research combine highly parallel electrophyiological recordings from macaque brain and advanced computational/theoretical approaches (e.g., network theory, information theory, statistical mechanics, etc) to investigate the structure and operation of neuronal networks, with focuses on understanding both how the brain works in normal conditions and the network mechanisms underlying major mental disorders.

2005    Ph. D in Biology    University of Science and Technology of China

2000     B.S. in Biology      University of Science and Technology of China

   

From 2014 Professor 
Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2008 – 2014 Postdoctoral fellow 
National Institute of Mental Health, USA

2005 – 2008 Postdoctoral researcher 
Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany

   

Selected publications

L Guo, H Chen, Y Chen, Y Bi, S Yu. A neural network for modeling human concept formation, understanding and communication. Nature Computational Science (2026)

K Tian, Z Zhao, Y Chen, N Ge, S Cao, X Han, J Gu, S Yu. Domain-specific schema reuse supports flexible learning to learn in the primate brain. Nature Communications (2026)

B Yang, S Yu. Orthogonal-Rotational Dynamics Supports Efficient Encoding and Updating for Streaming Information in Working Memory. Journal of Neuroscience 46 (3) (2026)

H Zhang, Q Ge, X Liu, Y Dang, L Xu, Y Zhuang, S Wu, S Laureys, J He, S Yu. A shared central thalamus mechanism underlying diverse recoveries in disorders of consciousness. Nature Communications 16 (1), 10400 (2025)

Y Xin, Y Cui, S Yu, N Liu. Genetic contributions to brain criticality and its relationship with human cognitive functions. PNAS 122 (26), e2417010122 (2025)

SH Cao, XY Han, ZP Zhao, JW Gu. Hand position fields of neurons in the premotor cortex of macaques during natural reaching. Nature Communications 16 (1), 3489 (2025)

K Li, H Chen, J Wan, S Yu. CKDF-V2: effectively alleviating representation shift for continual learning with small memory. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems (2025)

B Yang, H Zhang, T Jiang, S Yu. Natural brain state change with E/I balance shifting toward inhibition is associated with vigilance impairment. iScience 26 (10) (2023)

G Zeng, C Y, C B, S Yu. Continual learning of context-dependent processing in neural networks. Nature Machine Intelligence 1 (8), 364–372 (2019)