Scientists
Education and Appointments
Education
l From October 2009 to September 2013: Ph.D. in Neurobiology, University of Paris VI (Université Pierre et Marie Curie), Supervisor: Laurent Venance
l From October 2008 to September 2009: Intern, Institut Pasteur, France, Supervisor: Uwe Maskos
l From September 2005 to July 2008: Master’s degree, Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Supervisor: Cao Xiaohua
l From September 2001 to July 2005: Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, Ningbo University
Professional Experience
l May 2025 – Present: Principal Investigator, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
l July 2019 – May 2025: Professor, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
l December 2018 – July 2019: Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
l August 2017 – December 2018: Lecturer, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
l May 2015 – July 2017: Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
l March 2014 – April 2015: Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences
September 2013 – March 2014: Postdoctoral Fellow, Collège de France
Research Areas
Research Direction 1
To explore the dynamic mechanisms by which stress leads to neuropsychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression, social dysfunction, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, etc.). Establish cross-species, diverse animal models of stress, investigate the dynamic characteristics of stress-responsive brain networks during pathogenesis of chronic stress induced depression, and elucidate the risk factors, biomarkers, and key brain regions involved in the onset of stress-induced mood disorders.
Research Direction 2
To dissect the mechanisms underlying the interaction between emotion and cognition. Establish animal models of relapse of depression and treatment-resistant depression to explore the neural circuit basis and molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between emotion and cognition.
Supported Projects
1.National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program): “Exploration of the Neural Mechanisms of Autophagy in Regulating Stress and Depression Onset.” Principal Investigator. 2024. 650,000 RMB.
2.National Natural Science Foundation of China (Excellent Young Scientists Fund): “Neurobiology.” Principal Investigator. 2020. 1,500,000 RMB.
3.National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program): “Circuit Plasticity Mechanisms Underlying Chronic Stress-Induced Mood Disorders.” Principal Investigator. 2021. 690,000 RMB.
4.Ministry of Science and Technology (STI2030-Major Projects “Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence”): “Pathogenic Mechanisms and Intervention Technologies for Depression.” Core Member of Project 2 (“Neural Circuit Characteristics and Cellular/Molecular Basis of Depression”). 2022. 4,000,000 RMB / 59,534,700 RMB (total).
5.Major Original Youth Project of Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation: “Exploration of the Neural Mechanisms of Autophagy in Regulating Emotional Homeostasis and Its Application in Depression Prevention and Treatment.” Principal Investigator. 2024. 1,000,000 RMB.
Awards and Honors
1．Hu Hailan, Yang Yan, Cui Yihui, Zhou Tingting, Li Kun; Brain Mechanisms of Emotion and Social Behavior, People's Government of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Award, First Prize, 2022
2．Hu Hailan, Li Kun, Cui Yihui, Wang Fei, Yang Yan; Brain Mechanisms of Negative Emotion and Social Competition in Depression, State Council of the People's Republic of China, National Natural Science Award, Second Prize, 2024
3．Li Xiaoming, Hu Hailan, Luo Minmin, Wang Hao, Yu Yanqin, Duan Shumin, Cui Yihui, Wang Hao, Lian Hong; Novel Mechanisms of Depression Pathogenesis and Novel Antidepressant Targets, Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award, First Prize, 2023
4．Cui Yihui, Zheng Zhiwei, Guo Chen; Hypothalamus-Lateral Habenula Synaptic Potentiation Encodes Chronic Stress-Driven Depression Onset, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University Young Scholar Top 10 Advances of 2022, 2023
5．Cui Yihui; Young Scientist Award, 2023 Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Innovation Young 30, Shenzhen Society for Brain Science, 2023
Publications
1.Yang L, Guo C, Zheng Z, Dong Y, Xie Q, Lv Z, Li M, Lu Y, Guo X, Deng R, Liu Y, Feng Y, Mu R, Zhang X, Ma H, Chen Z, Zhang Z, Dong Z, Yang W, Zhang X*, Cui Y*. Stress dynamically modulates neuronal autophagy to gate depression onset. Nature. 641(8062):427-437. 2025.（Featured in Nature, Nature Neuroscience, JAMA Psychiatry, Autophagy）
2.Zheng Z, Liu Y, Mu R, Guo X, Feng Y, Guo C, Yang L, Qiu W, Zhang Q, Yang W, Dong Z, Qiu S, Dong Y*, Cui Y*. A small population of stress-responsive neurons in the hypothalamus-habenula circuit mediates development of depression-like behavior in mice. Neuron. 112(23):3924-3939.e5. 2024
3.Zheng Z, Guo C, Li M, Yang L, Liu P, Zhang X, Liu Y, Guo X, Cao S, Dong Y, Zhang C, Chen M, Xu J, Hu H, Cui Y*. Hypothalamus-habenula potentiation encodes chronic stress experience and drives depression onset. Neuron. 110(8):1400-1415.e6. 2022（Cover paper, highly cited paper）
4.Zhang H, Zheng Z, Chen X, Xu L, Guo C, Wang J, Cui Y*, Yang F*. RADICAL: a rationally designed ion channel activated by ligand for chemogenetics. Protein Cell. 16(2):136-142. 2025
5.Hua SS, Ding JJ, Sun TC, Guo C, Zhang Y, Yu ZH, Cao YQ, Zhong LH, Wu Y, Guo LY, Luo JH, Cui YH*, Qiu S*. NMDA Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Potentiation via APPL1 Signaling Is Required for the Accessibility of a Prefrontal Neuronal Assembly in Retrieving Fear Extinction. Biol Psychiatry. 94(3):262-277. 2023
6.Dong Y, Qin Q, Cui Y*. Dynamic prefrontal inhibition code mediates reward devaluation. Neuron. 111(23):3703-3705. 2023
7.Cui Y*. Epigenetic signature of depression susceptibility in cortical astrocytes. Neuron. 2025 Aug 20;113(16):2549-2551.
8.Li K, Guo C, Wu X, Wu C, Wu S, Su S, Wu M, Zhou X, Li S, Cui Y*, Zhou T*. Enhanced Protein Synthesis and Hippocampus-Dependent Memory via Inhibition of YTHDF2-Mediated m6A mRNA Degradation. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Dec;12(45):e14926.
9.Cui Y, Yang Y, Ni Z, Dong Y, Cai G, Foncelle A, Ma S, Sang K, Tang S, Li Y, Shen Y, Berry H, Wu S, Hu H. Astroglial Kir 4.1 in the lateral habenula drives neuronal bursts in depression. Nature. 2018 Feb 14;554(7692):323-327. （Highly cited paper）
10.Yang Y#, Cui Y#, Sang K#, Dong Y#, Ni Z, Ma S, Hu H. Ketamine blocks bursting in the lateral habenula to rapidly relieve depression. Nature. 2018 Feb 14;554(7692):317-322.（Highly cited paper）
Member
Main Staff:
Jiang Qi, Yang Yiwen (Postdoctoral Fellow), Wang Shizhe (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Current Doctoral Students:
Liu Ying, Lyu Zijian, Xie Qifeng, Wu Yaqi, Zhang Leyi
