Neurobiological pathways involved in sleep, fear and psychiatric disorders

Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Defensive behaviours against predatory threats are mediated by the subcortical brain regions processing threat-related information carried by external stimulus. On the other hand, these defensive responses need to be balanced against other adaptive behaviours such as sleeping, foraging, mating and recovering from infection. This behavioural balance in ethologically relevant contexts requires adequate integration of internal and external signals with a complex interplay between the brain and the body.

Our lab focuses on understanding the basic functional unit of the neural circuits and peripheral organs function under the interplay between sleep and defensive behaviours in physiological and pathological condition. We combined advanced tools enabling accurate inference of defensive behaviours at the organismal level, extracted from measurements of complex high-dimensional behavioural data and physiological parameters in a laboratory setting.

The implementation of these projects will enrich our knowledge about the neuro-immune-cardiac interaction pathways during sleep, which will eventually open new perspectives for understanding the full range of functions supported by sleep and the maintenance of organismic health.

2012-2017, PhD, Humboldt University of Berlin/MDC-Berlin, Germany

2008-2010, Master in Molecular Medicine, Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

2004-2008, Bachelor in Life Science, Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

Work Experience

2023-present, Associate Investigator, BCBDI, SIAT-CAS

2018-2022, Assistant Investigator, BCBDI, SIAT-CAS

2018-2018, Postdoctoral Fellow, MDC-Berlin, Germany

 1.    Zhao B, Liang L, Li J, Schaefke B*, Wang L*, Tseng YT*. An escape-enhancing circuit involving subthalamic CRH neurons mediates stress-induced anhedonia in mice. Neurobiol. Dis., 2024, 106649. *Corresponding authors

2.    Song H, Qiu S, Zhao B, Liu X*, Tseng YT*, Wang L*. A machine learning approach for behavioral recognition of stress levels in mice. Neurosci Bull . 2024. (Accepted) *Corresponding authors

3.    Wang L, Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, He S. Reply to“Fear, anxiety, and the functional architecture of the human central extended amygdala. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 25, 589–590 (2024). 

4.    Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L^*. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 24, 655–671 (2023).

5.    Tseng YT^*,Zhao B, Ding H, Liang L, Schaefke B, Wang L^*. Systematic evaluation of a predator stress model of depression in mice using a hierarchical 3D-motion learning framework. Translational Psychiatry. 2023 *Corresponding authors

6.    Tseng YT, Zhao B, Chen S, Ye J, Liu J, Liang L, Ding H, Schaefke B, Yang Q, Wang L, Wang F, Wang L^*. The subthalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons mediate adaptive REM-sleep responses to threat. Neuron 2022 (Cover story; highlighted by Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

7.    Tseng YT, Liang L, Zhao B, Ye J, Wang L^*. Connectivity Map of Subthalamic Corticotropin-releasing Hormone Neurons in the Mouse Brain. Neurosci Bull . 2022

8.    Liu X, Feng X, Huang H, Huang K, Xu Y, Ye S, Tseng YT, Wei P, Wang L, Wang F^*. Male and female mice display consistent lifelong ability to address potential life-threatening cues using different post-threat coping strategies. BMC Biol. 2022

9.    Chen S, Tan H, Wang Z, Tseng YT, Li X, Wang L^*. Formation of the Looming-evoked Innate Defensive Response during Postnatal Development in Mice. Neurosci Bull. 2022

10. Tseng YT, Zhao B, Liu J, Ding H, Wang F, Wang L^*. Sleep deprivation and adrenalectomy lead to enhanced innate escape response to visual looming stimuli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020

11. Quarta C, Fisette A, Xu Y, Colldén G, Legutko B, Tseng YT, Reim A, Wierer M, De Rosa MC, Klaus V, Rausch R, Thaker VV, Graf E, Strom TM, Poher AL, Gruber T, Le Thuc O, Cebrian-Serrano A, Kabra D, Bellocchio L, Woods SC, Pflugfelder GO, Nogueiras R, Zeltser L, Grunwald Kadow IC, Moon A, García-Cáceres C, Mann M, Treier M, Doege CA, Tschöp MH^*. Functional identity of hypothalamic melanocortin neurons depends on Tbx3. Nat Metab. 2019