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Bo Li

Bo Li

Professor
Robert Lourie Professor of Neuroscience

Ph.D., The University of British Columbia, 2003

bli@cshl.edu | 516-367-8485

Li Lab Website   Faculty Profile

My group studies the neural circuits underlying cognitive function and dysfunction as they relate to anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and autism. We use sophisticated technologies to manipulate specific neural circuits in the rodent brain to determine their role in behavior. We are interested in changes in synaptic strength that may underlie mental disorders.

Understanding the link between neural circuits and behavior has been the focus of research in my lab. We are particularly interested in studying the synaptic and circuit mechanisms underlying reward processing, attention, and learning and memory; as well as synaptic and circuit dysfunctions responsible for maladaptive behaviors that are related to major mental disorders. We integrate in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, imaging, molecular, genetic, optogenetic, and chemogenetic techniques to probe and manipulate the function of specific neural circuits – with a focus on the fear and reward circuits – in the rodent brain, and to determine how these circuits participate in adaptive or maladaptive behavioral responses in various tasks.

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Selected Publications

Oligophrenin-1 moderates behavioral responses to stress by regulating parvalbumin interneuron activity in the medial prefrontal cortex.

1 Apr 2021 | Neuron
Wang, Minghui, Gallo, Nicholas, Tai, Yilin, Li, Bo, Van Aelst, Linda

A Central Amygdala-Globus Pallidus Circuit Conveys Unconditioned Stimulus-Related Information and Controls Fear Learning

18 Nov 2020 | The Journal of Neuroscience | 40(47):9043-9054
Giovanniello, J, Yu, K, Furlan, A, Nachtrab, G, Sharma, R, Chen, X, Li, B

A Genetically Defined Compartmentalized Striatal Direct Pathway for Negative Reinforcement

1 Oct 2020 | Cell | 183(1):211-227.e20
Xiao, X, Deng, H, Furlan, A, Yang, T, Zhang, X, Hwang, G, Tucciarone, J, Wu, P, He, M, Palaniswamy, R, Ramakrishnan, C, Ritola, K, Hantman, A, Deisseroth, K, Osten, P, Huang, Z, Li, B

A central amygdala-globus pallidus circuit conveys unconditioned stimulus information and controls fear learning

30 Apr 2020 | BioRxiv
Giovanniello, Jacqueline, Yu, Kai, Furlan, Alessandro, Nachtrab, Gregory, Sharma, Radhashree, Chen, Xiaoke, Li, Bo

Parvalbumin interneuron dysfunction in a thalamo-prefrontal cortical circuit in Disc1 locus impairment mice

4 Feb 2020 | eNeuro
Delevich, K, Jaaro-Peled, H, Penzo, M, Sawa, A, Li, B

All Publications

Area postrema neurons mediate interleukin-6 function in cancer-associated cachexia.

14 Jan 2023 | bioRxiv
Sun, Qingtao, van de Lisdonk, Daniëlle, Ferrer, Miriam, Gegenhuber, Bruno, Wu, Melody, Tollkuhn, Jessica, Janowitz, Tobias, Li, Bo

Neurotensin neurons in the extended amygdala control dietary choice and energy homeostasis

20 Oct 2022 | Nature Neuroscience
Furlan, Alessandro, Corona, Alberto, Boyle, Sara, Sharma, Radhashree, Rubino, Rachel, Habel, Jill, Gablenz, Eva, Giovanniello, Jacqueline, Beyaz, Semir, Janowitz, Tobias, Shea, Stephen, Li, Bo

Prefrontal top-down projections control context-dependent strategy selection

2021 | bioRxiv
Gschwend, Olivier, Yang, Tao, van de Lisdonk, Daniëlle, Zhang, Xian, Sharma, Radhashree, Li, Bo

A genetically defined insula-brainstem circuit selectively controls motivational vigor

7 Dec 2021 | Cell
Deng, Hanfei, Xiao, Xiong, Yang, Tao, Ritola, Kimberly, Hantman, Adam, Li, Yulong, Huang, Z, Li, Bo

A fluorescent sensor for spatiotemporally resolved imaging of endocannabinoid dynamics in vivo

11 Nov 2021 | Nature Biotechnology
Dong, Ao, He, Kaikai, Dudok, Barna, Farrell, Jordan, Guan, Wuqiang, Liput, Daniel, Puhl, Henry, Cai, Ruyi, Wang, Huan, Duan, Jiali, Albarran, Eddy, Ding, Jun, Lovinger, David, Li, Bo, Soltesz, Ivan, Li, Yulong

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