1997 - 2001  B.S. in Biology, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China

2001 - 2007  Ph.D. in Biophysics, School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China

2007 - 2012  Post-doctoral fellow in vision science, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota

2012 -           Investigator, State key lab of brain and cognitive sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Human visual perception, attention and consciousness; visual plasticity; subcortical visual processing; high-resolution neuroimaging techniques (7T fMRI and EEG/MEG)

Research summary

Combining behavioral and high-resolution brain imaging methods, my lab investigates the neural mechanisms of consciousness visual perception and attention. We ask several fundamental questions. How does our brain resolve ambiguous retinal input to generate conscious perception? What is the relationship between attention and consciousness? How visual experiences shape the function and wire the circuits of our brain? To better answer these questions, we develop high-resolution fMRI approaches at ultrahigh magnetic field to non-invasively study human brain activity at the microscopic scale of cortical columns and layers and subdivisions of small subcortical nuclei.

1. Qian, C., Chen, Z., de Hollander, G., Knapen, T., Zhang, Z., He, S., Zhang, P.*. "Mesoscale cortical mechanisms of perceptual conflict resolution in binocular rivalry." Nature Human Behavior, In Press. 

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4490689/v1

2. Wang, Y.^#, Qian, C.^#, Gao, Y.^#, Zhou, Y.^#, Zhang, X., Wen, W.*, and Zhang, P.*. "Attenuated and Delayed Neural Activity in Cortical Microcircuitry of Monocular Processing and Binocular Interactions in Human Amblyopia." Imaging Neuroscience, April 11, 2025.

https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00561

3. Gao, Y.^#, Zhou, Y.^#, He, Q., Wen, W.*, and Zhang, P.*. "Improving Adult Vision Through Pathway‐Specific Training in Augmented Reality." Advanced Science, April 7, 2025, 2415877.

https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202415877

4. Knudsen, L.^#, Guo, F.^#, Sharoh, D., Huang, J., Blicher, J., Lund, T., Yan Zhou*, Peng Zhang*, and Yan Yang*. "The Laminar Pattern of Proprioceptive Activation in Human Primary Motor Cortex." Cerebral Cortex 35, no. 4 (April 1, 2025): bhaf076.

https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf076

5. Ai, H. ^#, Lin, W.^#, Liu, C., Chen, N.*, and Zhang, P.*. "Mesoscale Functional Organization and Connectivity of Color, Disparity, and Naturalistic Texture in Human Second Visual Area." eLife 13 (March 20, 2025): RP93171.

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.93171

6. Guo, F.^#, Zou, J.^#, Wang, Y.^#, Fang, B., Zhou, H., Wang, D.*, He, S.*, & Zhang, P.* (2024). Human subcortical pathways automatically detect collision trajectory without attention and awareness. PLOS Biology, 22(1), e3002375.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002375

7. Wang, H.^#, Wang, X.^#, Wang, Y., Zhang, D., Yang, Y., Zhou, Y.*, Qiu, B.*, & Zhang, P.* (2023). White matter BOLD signals at 7 Tesla reveal visual field maps in optic radiation and vertical occipital fasciculus. NeuroImage, 269, 119916.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119916

8. Chen, Y.^#, Gao, Y.^#, He, Z.^#, Sun, Z., Mao, Y., Hess, R. F.*, Zhang, P.*, & Zhou, J.* (2023). Internal neural states influence the short-term effect of monocular deprivation in human adults. eLife, 12, e83815.

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.83815

9. Wen, W.^#, Wang, Y.^#, Zhou, J., He, S., Sun, X., Liu, H.*, Zhao, C.*, & Zhang, P.* (2021). Loss and enhancement of layer-selective signals in geniculostriate and corticotectal pathways of adult human amblyopia. Cell Reports, 37(11), 110117.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110117

10. Cao, R.^#, Qian, C.^#, Ren, S., He, Z., He, S.*, & Zhang, P.* (2021). Visual adaptation and 7T fMRI reveal facial identity processing in the human brain under shallow interocular suppression. NeuroImage, 244(May), 118622.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118622

11. de Hollander, G.*, van der Zwaag, W., Qian, C., Zhang, P.*, & Knapen, T.* (2021). Ultra-high field fMRI reveals origins of feedforward and feedback activity within laminae of human ocular dominance columns. NeuroImage, 117683.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117683

12. Liu, C.^#, Guo, F.^#, Qian, C., Zhang, Z., Sun, K., Wang, D. J. J., He, S., Zhang, P.* (2021). Layer-dependent multiplicative effects of spatial attention on contrast responses in human early visual cortex. Progress in Neurobiology, August, 101897.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101897

13. Qian, Y., Zou, J., Zhang, Z., An, J., Zuo, Z., Zhuo, Y., Wang, D. J. J., & Zhang, P.* (2020). Robust functional mapping of layer-selective responses in human lateral geniculate nucleus with high-resolution 7T fMRI. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287(1925).

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.0245

14. Zou, J., He, S.*, & Zhang, P.* (2016). Binocular rivalry from invisible patterns. PNAS, 113(30).

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1604816113

15. Zhang, P.*, Zhou, H., Wen, W., & He, S.* (2015). Layer-specific response properties of the human lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus. NeuroImage, 111.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.025

16. Zhang, P.*, Wen, W., Sun, X., & He, S.* (2015). Selective reduction of fMRI responses to transient achromatic stimuli in the magnocellular layers of the LGN and the superficial layer of the SC of early glaucoma patients. Hum Brain Mapp, 37(2).

https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23049

17. Zhang, P.*, Jiang, Y., & He, S.* (2012). Voluntary attention modulates processing of eye-specific visual information. Psychol Sci, 23(3), 254-260.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611424289

18. Zhang, P.*, Jamison, K., Engel, S., He, B., & He, S.* (2011). Binocular rivalry requires visual attention. Neuron, 71(2), 362-369.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2011.05.035

19. Zhang, P.^#, Bao, M.^#, Kwon, M., He, S., & Engel, S. A. (2009). Effects of orientation-specific visual deprivation induced with altered reality. Curr Biol, 19(22), 1956-1960.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.10.018

20. Zhang, P. , Chen, X., Yuan, P., Zhang, D.*, & He, S. (2006). The effect of visuospatial attentional load on the processing of irrelevant acoustic distractors. Neuroimage, 33(2), 715-724.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.07.015

（From Peng Zhang, May 6, 2025）