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. 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:

University of Chinese Academy of Science, China

Visiting PhD student:

Max-Planck Institute for Medicine Research, Germany

Bachelor student:

Nanjing University, 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

The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Visiting Scholar

University of Tennessee Health Science Center, United States

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Research Assistance

School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, China

Postdoctoral Fellow

School of Life Science, Peking University, China

1. Shan L (first & co-corresponding author), Y. Wang, R. Wu, H. Yan, Dai J. (2026). "Subconscious information elicits distinct metacognition following Active Decision-Making." Biomedical Signal Processing and Control 123: 110660. (JCR-Q2) doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bspc.2026.110660

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 Dai, Zhonghua Lu. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

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;