Faculty
Faculty
Han-Fei Deng
Professor
Principal Investigator
Dr. Hanfei Deng received her Ph.D. in neurobiology from the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2017. From 2017 to 2021, she conducted postdoctoral research in Professor Bo Li’s laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In 2022, she joined the Institute of Brain Science at Fudan University as a Principal Investigator. Her major research interest is to understand the neural circuit mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors. Her work has been published in journals including Cell and Nature Neuroscience.
Contact Information
Address: Room B4017, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 Dongan Road, Shanghai, China, 200032
Email：hanfeideng@@fudan.edu.cn
Research Direction
Neural mechanisms of motivated behaviors
Enrollment Major
Neurobiology
Research Work
Motivation is the driving force that guides our actions, decisions, and goals. Dysregulation of motivational processes is closely associated with many neuropsychiatric conditions, including depression and drug addiction. By employing cutting-edge experimental approaches, our lab aims to address three fundamental questions: 1) what are the neural circuit mechanisms underlying motivated behaviors; 2) how do dysfunctions of these circuits contribute to mood and motivational disorders; and 3) how can mechanistic insights be translated into precision neuromodulation strategies for neuropsychiatric intervention.
Selected Publications
Tang Y#, Shao RXZ#, Luo LXY, Liao LQ, Wang XY, Zhu HF, Xiao X*, Deng HF* (2026). A brainstem pathway underlying vagal modulation of somatic pain and affective states. Nat Neurosci. doi: 10.1038/s41593-026-02313-0 (*corresponding author, #co-first author)
Chen AX#, Li YJ#, Zhu HF#, Cui X#, Gu HM, Pan YN, Weng YH, Ye QY, Guan WQ, Sun QT, Li B, Xiao L*, Xu FQ*, Deng HF*, Xiao X* (2026). Striatal control of amygdalar acetylcholine release during salience-associated processing. Nat Neurosci. doi: 10.1038/s41593-026-02353-6
Deng HF#*, Xiao X#, Yang T, Ritola K, Hantman A, Li YL, Huang ZJ, Li B* (2021). A genetically defined insula-brainstem circuit selectively controls motivational vigor. Cell. 184(26): 6344-6360.e18
Xiao X, Deng HF, Furlan A, Yang T, Zhang X, Hwang GR, Tucciarone J, Wu P, He M, Palaniswamy R, Ramakrishnan C, Ritola K, Hantman A, Deisseroth K, Osten P, Huang ZJ, Li B* (2020). A genetically defined compartmentalized striatal direct pathway for negative reinforcement. Cell. 183(1): 211-227.e20
Deng HF#, Xiao X#, Wang ZR* (2016). Periaqueductal gray neuronal activities underlie different aspects of defensive behaviors. J Neurosci. 36(29): 7580-7588. Featured article.
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