1997 - 2002  University of Science and Technology of China, B.S. in Biological Sciences, B.E. in Computer Science and Technology

2004 - 2007  Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ph.D. in Zoology

2007 - 2012  National Institute of Mental Health, Postdoctoral Fellow

2012 - 2016  National Institute of Mental Health, Research Fellow

2016.08 -      Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Principal Investigator

Social cognition is essential for both individual and group survival, especially in socialanimals like humans and non-human primates. In a variety of psychiatric disorders, disruptedsocial cognition represents a common sensitive domain of their pathology. Although socialcognition has been studied for a long time, its brain underpinning remains elusive. Our long-termresearch goal is to understand the neural mechanisms underlying social cognitions, and develop new diagnostictools and treatment strategies for psychiatric diseases. Given the similarities in social cognition and its underlying neural circuitry between humans andnon-human primates, weuse non-human primates (e.g., rhesus macaque) as the model.Sophisticated non-invasive and invasive experimental approaches, including neuroimaging (e.g.,fMRI), interventional physiology (e.g., permanent/reversible lesion of brain circuits,microstimulation) and computational modeling, will be applied jointly toinvestigate these issues at various scales and levels.

1. Wu Y, Zhao M, Deng H, Wang T, Xin Y, Dai W, Huang J, Zhou T, Sun X, Liu N*, Xing D*. The neural origin for asymmetric coding of surface color in the primate visual cortex. Nature Communications. (2024) 15(1):516.

2. Sun F, Yang T, Liu N*, Wan X*. The Causal Role of Temporoparietal Junction in Mediating Self-Other Mergence during Mentalizing. Journal of Neuroscience. (2023) 43(49):8442-8455.

3. Xiang S, Zhao M, Yu L, Liu N*. A common self-advantage across the implicit and explicit levels for self-body recognition. Frontiers in Psychology. (2023) 14:1099151.

4. Zhang H, Ding X, Liu N, Nolan R, Ungerleider LG, Japee S. Equivalent processing of facial expression and identity by macaque visual system and task-optimized neural network. Neuroimage. (2023) 273:120067.

5. Cui S, Yang T, Liu N*. Generalization of the modulatory effect of social interaction on personal space. Frontiers in Psychology. (2023) 14:1148395.

6. Liu N*, Behrmann M, Turchi JN, Avidan G, Hadj-Bouziane F, Ungerleider LG. Bidirectional and parallel relationships in macaque face circuit revealed by fMRI and causal pharmacological inactivation. Nature Communications. (2022) 13(1):6787.

7. Xin Y, Bai T, Zhang T, Chen Y, Wang K, Yu S*, Liu N*, Tian Y*. Electroconvulsive therapy modulates critical brain dynamics in major depressive disorder patients. Brain Stimulation. (2021) 15(1):214-225.

8. Li N, Liu N*. The Nonlinear and Gender-Related Relationships of Face Attractiveness and Typicality With Perceived Trustworthiness. Frontiers in Psychology. (2021) 12:2854.

9. Tomeo OB, Ungerleider LG, Liu N*. Preference for Averageness in Faces Does Not Generalize to Non-Human Primates. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. (2017) 11:129

10. Liu N*, Hadj-Bouziane F, Moran R, Ungerleider LG, Ishai A. Facial Expressions Evoke Differential Neural Coupling in Macaques. Cerebral Cortex. (2017) 27(2):1524-1531

11. Zhang H, Japee S, Nolan R, Chu C, Liu N, Ungerleider LG. Face-selective regions differ in their ability to classify facial expressions. Neuroimage. (2016)130:77-90.

12. Liu N*, Hadj-Bouziane F, Jones KB, Turchi JN, Averbeck BB, Ungerleider LG. Oxytocin modulates fMRI responses to facial expression in macaques. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. (2015) 112:E3123-3130.

13. Avidan G, Tanzer M, Hadj-Bouziane F, Liu N, Ungerleider LG, Behrmann M. Selective dissociation between core and extended regions of the face processing network in congenital prosopagnosia. Cerebral Cortex. (2014) 24:1565-1578.

14. Liu N*, Kriegeskorte N, Mur M, Hadj-Bouziane F, Luh WM, Tootell RB, Ungerleider LG. Intrinsic structure of visual exemplar and category representations in macaque brain. Journal of Neuroscience. (2013)33:11346-11360.

15. Hadj-Bouziane F, Liu N, Bell AH, Gothard KM, Luh WM, Tootell RB, Murray EA, Ungerleider LG. Amygdala lesions disrupt modulation of functional MRI activity evoked by facial expression in the monkey inferior temporal cortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. (2012) 109:E3640-3648.

16. Furl N, Hadj-Bouziane F, Liu N, Averbeck BB, Ungerleider LG. Dynamic and static facial expressions decoded from motion-sensitive areas in the macaque monkey. Journal of Neuroscience. (2012) 32:15952-15962.

17. Talbot T, Ide D, Liu N, Turchi J. A novel, variable angle guide grid for neuronal activity studies. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. (2011) 6:1.

18. Nasr S, Liu N, Devaney KJ, Yue X, Rajimehr R, Ungerleider LG, Tootell RB. Scene-selective cortical regions in human and nonhuman primates. Journal of Neuroscience. (2011) 31:13771-13785.

19. Wu CW, Vasalatiy O, Liu N, Wu H, Cheal S, Chen DY, Koretsky AP, Griffiths GL, Tootell RB, Ungerleider LG. Development of a MR-visible compound for tracing neuroanatomical connections in vivo. Neuron. (2011) 70:229-243.

(From Ning Liu, January 16, 2024)