My research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive and behavioral processes—such as consciousness, visual awareness, audiovisual integration, metacognition, thermoregulation, emotion, and anesthesia—in both humans and non-human primates. Additionally, I explore neural dysfunctions associated with psychiatric and mental disorders, including schizophrenia, disorders of consciousness, microcephaly, depression, autism, and seizures. I specialize in applying pattern recognition and machine learning techniques to analyze large-scale SEEG, EEG, spike, and MRI data, aiming to develop innovative methods for a deeper understanding of the brain. My interests also extend to the development of closed-loop brain-computer interfaces with promising biomedical applications, as well as the scientific investigation of parapsychological phenomena, such as near-death experiences, precognition, and telepathy. Through my work, I seek to advance our understanding of the neural correlates of consciousness and other brain functions, contribute to the clinical treatment of psychiatric and mental disorders, and foster the integration of artificial intelligence and interdisciplinary approaches in neuroscience research. 

PhD student:

09/2010– 07/2015, Institute of Biophysics, University of Chinese Academy of Science, China

Visiting PhD student:

06/2014– 11/2014, Max-Planck Institute for Medicine Research, Molecular Neuroscience, Germany

Bachelor student:

09/2006– 07/2010, School of the Environment,Nanjing University, Environmental Biology, China

Associate Professor

01/2024 – Now, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Assistant Professor

05/2020 – 01/2024, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Visiting Scholar

10/2019-05/2020, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, United States

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Research Assistance

03/2018-10/2019, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China

Postdoctoral Fellow

07/2015-03/2018, School of Life Science, Peking University, China

1. Shan L (first author), Yuan L, Zhang B, Ma J, Xu X, Gu F, et al. Neural Integration of Audiovisual Sensory Inputs in Macaque Amygdala and Adjacent Regions. Neuroscience Bulletin 2023. (Cover) (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-023-01043-8

2. Zhang Z, Shan L (co-first author), Wang Y, Li W, Jiang M, Liang F, et al. Primate preoptic neurons drive hypothermia and cold defense. Innovation (Camb) 2023. (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100358

3. Liu Y, Shan L (second author), Liu T, Li J, Chen Y, Sun C, et al. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the first social relationship: A conserved role of 5-HT from mice to monkeys, upstream of oxytocin. Neuron 2023.  (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.010

4. Yefei Chen,Zexuan Hong,Jingyi Wang,Kunlin Liu,Jing Liu,Jianbang Lin,Shijing Feng,Tianhui Zhang,Liang Shan (eighth author),Taian Liu,Pinyue Guo,Yunping Lin,Tian Li,Qian Chen,Xiaodan Jiang,Anan Li,Xiang Li,Yuantao Li,Jonathan J. Wilde,Jin Bao,Ji DaiandZhonghua Lu. 2023. Circuit-specific gene therapy reverses core symptoms in a primate Parkinson’s disease model. Cell 2023. (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.004

5. Shan L (first & co-corresponding author), Huang H, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Gu F, Lu M, et al. Mapping the emergence of visual consciousness in the human brain via brain-wide intracranial electrophysiology. Innovation (Camb) 2022. (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100243

6. Chen J, Shan L (second author), Dai J. DistinSct Recovery Process of Consciousness and Cognition After Anesthesia. Neuroscience Bulletin 2022. (JCR-Q1) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-021-00786-6

7. Shiah Y, Shan L (second author), Radin DI, Huang GTJ. Effects of intentionally treated water on the growth of mesenchymal stem cells: An exploratory study. EXPLORE 2022. (JCR-Q4) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2021.11.007

8. Shan L (corresponding author), Space-time structure as a property derived from the operation of consciousness at the quantum-classical boundary. Physics essays 2021. https://doi.org/10.4006/0836-1398-34.1.6

９. Shan L (first author), Liu T, Zhang Z, Liu Q, Zhang M, Zhao X, et al. Schizophrenia-like olfactory dysfunction induced by acute and postnatal phencyclidine exposure in rats. Schizophrenia Research 2018. (JCR-Q2) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2018.02.045

10. Shan L (corresponding author), Consciousness is an Entity with Entangled States: Correlating the Measurement Problem with Non-Local Consciousness. NeuroQuantology 2018 https://doi.org/10.14704/NQ.2018.16.6.1316

11. Shan L (first author), Liu T, Zhao X, Ma Y. Mild Prenatal Stress Exposure Contributed to Behavioral Changes Induced by Postnatal Injections and Blocked The Effects of Olanzapine. Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2015. (JCR-Q4) https://doi.org/10.16476/j.pibb.2015.0086

1. Subconscious Information Elicits Distinct Metacognition Following Active Decision-Making (paper in submission).

2. Investigating brain abnormalities in a microcephalus macaque model: a combined structural and functional MRI study (paper in preparation). 

3. Identifying the core brain regions and neuroelectrophysiological signatures closely associated with pleasure and exploring their potential clinical value in depression treatment (ongoing).

4. Investigating neural dynamics in recovery from anaesthesia-induced unconsciousness in human using intracranial electrophysiology and machine learning approach (ongoing).

5. Investigating neural signatures underlying the conscious/subconscious face emotion recognition via  intracranial   electrophysiology and machine learning approach (ongoing).

6. Neural Signatures of Gender Recognition Using Stereo-EEG (SEEG) and a Machine Learning Approach(ongoing).

1. ​A touch film task training device placed on a glass partition. Shan Liang; Dai Ji. 24/05/2024. No. 20996534

EEG/SEEG/Spike Data Analysis:

Data pre-precessing and denoising using ICA approach;

Power spectral density and time-frequency analysis;

Event-related potential analysis;

Functional connectivity analysis;

Cross-frequency coupling analysis;

Representational similarity analysis;

Neural responses analysis based on spike potential;

fMRI Data Analysis (in non-human primate):

Data pre-precessing (including time-slicing, realign, normalization, smooth, etc.);

Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fALFF analysis;

Regional homogeneity (Reho) analysis;

Functional connectivity analysis;

Machine Learning Approaches (using Python):

Feature extraction and selection;

Model training/testing and hyperparameter tuning;

Model evaluation and result visualization;

Human Behavioral Experiment Techniques:

Binocular Rivalry paradigm and Matlab-Psychtoolbox programming;

EEG and fMRI recording;

Animal Experiment Techniques:

Rodents and monkey behavioral experiments;  

Stereotaxic surgery (including microinjection, microelectrode implantation, etc.);

Immunohistochemistry (including perfusion, brain slice preparing, immunofluorescence staning, image scanning, etc.);

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Cell Biology Techniques:

Cell culture;

qPCR and RT-PCR analysis;

RNA purification;

1. Principal Investigator, National Natural Science Funds of China (Grant No. 32300854), Unravelling the brain-wide

functional network underlying the processing of subconscious emotions via machine learning, ¥300,000 for the entire

program.

2. Principal Investigator, the Science and Technology Funds of Guangdong Province (Grant No. 2020A1515111118),

Neural signatures underlying the subconscious face emotion recognition via intracranial electrophysiology and machine

learning approch, ¥100,000 for the entire program.

3. Principal Investigator, Bial Research Funding (Grant No. PT/FB/BL-2018-121), Effects of subconscious, nonlocal, and

retroactive information on participants’ choice/decision and neural activities, €45,500 for the entire program.

4. Principal Investigator, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Research Grants – Short-Term Grants, €6,000

for the entire program.

5. Major Participant, Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission, Shenzhen Science and Technology

Program(JCYJ20220818101404009), Rehabilitation therapy on motor dysfunction after brain injury and investigation on

mechanism of coordinated motion, ¥2,000,000 for the entire program.