Group leader
Our research
The Li lab studies how neural circuits generate behaviour and how their dysfunction leads to neurological disease. Their research combines experimental and computational neuroscience to uncover fundamental principles of brain function, with applications in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Neural Circuits and Behaviour
The Li Lab investigates how neurons connect to form circuits and how these circuits produce behaviour. Key questions include:
- How neural microcircuits process and integrate information
- How network activity drives behaviour
- How circuit dysfunction contributes to disease
Research approach
The lab uses Caenorhabditis elegans, the only organism with a fully mapped connectome, enabling precise links between neural activity and behaviour. This powerful model supports rapid genetic manipulation and high-throughput studies of neural function and disease mechanisms.
Key contributions:
- Demonstrated how individual neurons can both promote and suppress behaviour, fine-tuning motor output
- Revealed efficient neural processing, where single neurons encode multiple types of sensory information
- Advanced computational models to map connectivity, analyse neural dynamics, and predict behaviour