Guangwei Si, Ph.D., Prof.
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Principal Investigator
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science and Mental Health，IBP
Research Interests: Neural coding, Motor control, Systems and computational neuroscience.
Email: si@ibp.ac.cn
Tel: 010-64888474
Address: 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
Chinese personal homepage
- Biography
2004 - 2008 B.Sc. in Physics, Jilin University
2008 - 2013 Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics, Peking University
2013 - 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
2020 - Investigator, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
2023 - Professor, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Awards
- Membership in Academies & Societies
2024 - Board of Reviewing Editors, eLife
2024 - Secretary General, Chinese Association for Chemosensation
- Research Interests
The brain's remarkable characteristic lies in its ability to process information and control behavior through networks of diverse neurons. We are dedicated to exploring the quantitative principles of biological neural systems at the network level, focusing on the following areas:
Neural Coding
The nervous system represents and processes information through the collective activity of neurons. Constrained by both internal and external environments, biological neural coding exhibits unique yet universal characteristics. We study the formation, transformation, and development of olfactory neural coding in fruit flies, exploring the fundamental principles of biological neural coding from perspectives such as statistics, dynamics, and neural computation. These principles are then applied to the development of brain-inspired algorithms and bionic systems.
Circuit Assembly
The structure of neural networks largely determines the properties and functions of the nervous system. Developmental processes, physical constraints, and neural activity all leave imprints on network structure. By analyzing the connectomes of organisms like C. elegans and fruit flies, and tracking their development and plasticity, we identify key factors influencing network structure across multiple spatiotemporal scales and construct dynamic models of neural circuit assembly.
Motor Control
Motor control is one of the most crucial functions of the nervous system, with information processing ultimately needing to manifest in behavior. The uniqueness of movement lies in its being the result of interactions among the nervous system, body and environment. We combine mechanics, control theory, neuroscience, and virtual reality to study the movement of fruit fly larvae, exploring the fundamental principles of biological motor control to inspire new approaches in the design and development of bionic robots.
- Grants
- Selected Publications
1. Liang X*, Ding Y, Yuan Z, Han Y, Zhou Y, Jiang J, Xie Z, Fei P, Sun Y, Jia P, Gu G, Zhong Z, Chen F*, Si G*, Gong Z*. "Mechanics of soft-body rolling motion without external torque" Phys. Rev. Lett. 134.19 (2025): 198401 (* co-corresponding author).
Also see the FOCUS article 'Insect Larvae Inspire Rolling Robots' in Physics 18 (2025): 104.
2. Wu Y, Zhang R, Li D, Qi K, Chai Y, Shen C, Si G*, Wen Q*. "Whole Brain Imaging of Larval Zebrafish during Rheotaxis" Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 49.9 (2022): 1731-1740 (* co-corresponding author).
3. Eschbach C*, Fushiki A, Winding, M, Afonso B, Andrade I, Cocanougher B, Eichler K, Gepner R, Si G, Valdes-Aleman J, Fetter R, Gershow M, Jefferis G, Samuel A, Truman J, Cardona A*, Zlatic M*. "Circuits for integrating learned and innate valences in the insect brain" Elife 10 (2021): e62567 (* co-corresponding author).
4. Si G#, Kanwal J#, Hu Y, Tabone C, Baron J, Berck M, Vignoud G, Samuel A. "Structured odorant response patterns across a complete olfactory receptor neuron population" Neuron 101.5 (2019): 950-962 (# co-first author).
Also see the Previews article "Order in Odors: A Power Law Structures the Encoding of Stimulus Identity and Intensity" in Neuron 101.5 (2019): 768-770.
5. Zhang X, Si G, Dong Y, Chen K, Ouyang Q, Luo C*, Tu Y*. "Escape band in Escherichia coli chemotaxis in opposing attractant and nutrient gradients" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 116.6 (2019): 2253-2258 (* co-corresponding author).
6. He L, Si G, Huang J, Samuel A, Perrimon N. "Mechanical regulation of stem cell differentiation through stretch-activated Piezo channel" Nature 555.7496 (2018): 103.
7. Li Z, Cai Q, Zhang X, Si G, Ouyang Q, Luo C*, Tu Y*. "Barrier crossing in Escherichia coli chemotaxis" Phys. Rev. Lett. 118.9 (2017): 098101 (* co-corresponding author).
Also see the SYNOPSIS article 'Racing Bacteria' in Physics.
8. Berck M, Khandelwal A, Claus L, Hernandez-Nunez L, Si G, Tabone C, Li F, Truman J, Fetter R, Louis M*, Samuel ADT*, Cardona A*. "The wiring diagram of a glomerular olfactory system." eLife 5 (2016): e14859 (* co-corresponding author).
9. Hernandez-Nunez L, Belina J, Klein M, Si G, Claus L, Carlson JR, Samuel ADT. "Reverse-correlation analysis of navigation dynamics in Drosophila larva using optogenetics." eLife 4 (2015): e06225.
10. Si G, Tang M, Yang X. "A pathway-based mean-field model for E. coli chemotaxis: mathematical derivation and its hyperbolic and parabolic limits." Multiscale Modeling & Simulation 12.2 (2014): 907-926.
11. Bi S, Yu D, Si G, Luo C, Li T, Ouyang Q, Jakovljevic V, Sourjik V, Tu Y*, Lai L*. "Discovery of novel chemoeffectors and rational design of Escherichia coli chemoreceptor specificity." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110.42 (2013): 16814-16819 (* co-corresponding author).
12. Si G, Wu T, Ouyang Q*, Tu Y*. "Pathway-based mean-field model for Escherichia coli chemotaxis." Phys. Rev. Lett. 109.4 (2012): 048101 (*co-corresponding author).
13. Zhu X#, Si G#, Deng N, Ouyang Q, Wu T, He Z, Jiang L, Luo C*, Tu Y*. "Frequency-dependent Escherichia coli chemotaxis behavior." Phys. Rev. Lett. 108.12 (2012): 128101 (# co-first author, * co-corresponding author).
14. Si G, Yang W, Bi S, Luo C*, Ouyang Q*. "A parallel diffusion-based microfluidic device for bacterial chemotaxis analysis." Lab Chip, 12.7 (2012) :1389-1394 (* co-corresponding author).
15. Si G, Zhu X, Kang Y, Luo C*, Ouyang Q*, Chen Y. "Diffusion-based concentration control in microcavities during long time period by programmed syringe pumps". Microelectronic Engineering, 87.5-8 (2010): 793 - 797 (* co-corresponding author).
(From Guangwei Si, July 7, 2025)