2021 - present Associate Investigator, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science

2018 - 2021 Research Assistant Professor, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)

2017 - 2018 Senior Research Scientist, Department of Biology, SUSTech

2017 Visiting Scholar, Department of Biology, SUSTech

2015 Ph.D., Bioinformatics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Yang-Ming University

Research Field:Evolutionary and Embodied Neuroscience, Bioinformatics

A holistic perspective on brain function and behaviour, integrating knowledge about the evolutionary history of nervous systems and their complex interactions with other organs, is quintessential for understanding the advantages and limits of animal models and computer simulations as well as for developing precision approaches in biomedicine and psychiatry.

In this context my current research focuses on two major topics:

1.The effects of nutrition on metabolism, mitochondrial function, microbiome composition, hormones, inflammation and ultimately nervous system function and behaviour, especially social behaviour:

Using mouse models of autism spectrum disorders, machine learning-based automated behaviour analysis, and state-of-the-art neuroscience methods, we study the effects of diet treatments on gene expression patterns, mitochondrial metabolism, gut microbiome and blood metabolome, and complex behavioural traits and their relationship with symptom severity in neuropsychiatric diseases.

In collaboration with clinicians, patients and their families, we pursue comprehensive analysis of behavioural and nutritional data, clinical outcomes, gene expression in peripheral blood and faecal microbiome composition in children with developmental disorders, aiming at providing clinical big data support and a scientific research basis for precision intervention strategies.

2.The evolutionary dynamics of gene regulatory divergence and the effects of hybridization on gene expression and behaviour:

Divergence in gene regulation, including transcription, alternative polyadenylation, alternative splicing and translation, plays an important role in the emergence of separate species. But the relative importance of neutral drift vs. natural selection in this process is still debated. In addition, the effects of gene expression divergence on brain function and behaviour regulation and their importance for the speciation process are still understudied. Addressing these questions is not only necessary for shedding light on how humans evolved their unique traits and for the preservation of animal biodiversity, but may also help us understand the biomedical and behavioural implications of archaic human introgression and the potential role of genetic incompatibilities in complex diseases including neuropsychiatric disorders.

To study these questions, we utilize wild-derived inbred strains of different mouse (sub-)species, automated 3D behaviour analysis, and multi-omics analysis of different brain regions and peripheral tissues.

1.Wang, L., Tseng, YT., Schaefke, B. et al. Reply to ‘Fear, anxiety and the functional architecture of the human central extended amygdala’. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-024-00834-w

2.Tseng YT., Schaefke B., Wei P., Wang LP. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 24, 655–671 (2023). doi: 10.1038/s41583-023-00736-3

3.Tseng YT, Zhao B, Ding H, Liang L, Schaefke B, Wang LP. Systematic evaluation of a predator stress model of depression in mice using a hierarchical 3D-motion learning framework. Transl Psychiatry 13, 178 (2023). doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02481-8

4.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 Apr 6;110(7):1223-1239.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.033.

5.Zou XD*, Schaefke B*, Li YS, Jia F, Sun W, Li G, Liang W, Reif T, Heyd F, Gao Q, Tian S, Li Y, Tang Y, Fang L, Hu Y, & Chen W. Mammalian splicing divergence is shaped by drift, buffering in trans and a scaling law. Life Sci Alliance. 2021 Dec 30;5(4):e202101333. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202101333. * First author

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