Source: Interfolio F180
Li Ye, PhD
Research Focus
The brain plays a pivotal role in integrating homeostatic signals and regulating whole-body metabolism. But the high energy demand of neurons also makes the CNS highly sensitive to systemic metabolic stress. We are interested in how the brain adapts to both acute and chronic metabolic changes and how such adaptation, in turn, affects the control of organismal physiology by the CNS, at the biochemical, cellular, and circuit levels. Our long-term goal is to harness the molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying these adaptations to target metabolic disorders including obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as certain neurodegenerative diseases.
We employ and design novel systems tools optimized for brain-wide structural mapping (whole-brain labeling, tissue clearing ('CLARITY/HYBRiD') and large-volume light-sheet imaging), in vivo multi-region Ca2+ imaging, and activity/connectivity-defined optogenetics. Based in TSRI, we also develop and apply high throughput screens (small molecules/CATCH, genomic, proteomic, etc.) in conjunction with circuit-based tools to unleash the power of large scale unbiased screens in intact mammalian brains.
Education
Ph.D., Harvard University, 2012B.S., Tsinghua University, 2006
Professional Experience
2013-2017 Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University/HHMI, Stanford, CA2007-2008 Chemical Biology Visiting Student, MIT/Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
Awards & Professional Activities
2017 NIDDK Mentored Career Development Award (K01), NIH/NIDDK2018 Baxter Foundation Young Faculty Award
2018 Dana Foundation David Mahoney Neuroimaging Program
2019 Whitehall Foundation Research Award
2020 NIH Director's New Innovator Award, NIH/NIDDK
2022 Abide Vividion Endowed Chair, Scripps Research / Abide Vividion
2022 American Journal of Physiology-Young Investigator Award
2023 Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award
2024 HHMI Investigator
Selected Publications
Yang, Dong; Wang, Yu; Qi, Tianbo; Zhang, Xi; Shen, Leyao; Ma, Jingrui; Pang, Zhengyuan; Lal, Neeraj K.; McClatchy, Daniel B.; Seradj, Saba Heydar H.; Leung, Verina H.; Wang, Kristina; Xie, Yi; Polli, Filip S.; Maximov, Anton; Gonzalez, Oscar Christia C.; de Lecea, Luis; Cline, Hollis T.; Augustine, Vineet; Yates, John R.; Ye, Li Phosphorylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase inversely associates with neuronal activity. 2024, 112, 959-971.e8.
Lal, Neeraj K.; Le, Phuong; Aggarwal, Samarth; Zhang, Alan; Wang, Kristina; Qi, Tianbo; Pang, Zhengyuan; Yang, Dong; Nudell, Victoria; Yeo, Gene W.; Banks, Alexander S.; Ye, Li Xiphoid nucleus of the midline thalamus controls cold-induced food seeking. 2023, 621, 138-145.
Wang, Yu; Leung, Verina H.; Zhang, Yunxiao; Nudell, Victoria S.; Loud, Meaghan; Servin-Vences, M Roci R.; Yang, Dong; Wang, Kristina; Moya-Garzon, Maria Dolore D.; Li, Veronica L.; Long, Jonathan Z.; Patapoutian, Ardem; Ye, Li The role of somatosensory innervation of adipose tissues. 2022, 609, 569-574.
Pang, Zhengyuan; Schafroth, Mich A.; Ogasawara, Daisuke; Wang, Yu; Nudell, Victoria; Lal, Neeraj K.; Yang, Dong; Wang, Kristina; Herbst, Dylan M.; Ha, Jacquelyn; Guijas, Carlos; Blankman, Jacque L.; Cravatt, Benjamin F.; Ye, Li In situ identification of cellular drug targets in mammalian tissue. 2022, 185, 1793-1805.e17.
Nudell, Victoria; Wang, Yu; Pang, Zhengyuan; Lal, Neeraj K.; Huang, Min; Shaabani, Namir; Kanim, Wesam; Teijaro, John; Maximov, Anton; Ye, Li HYBRiD: hydrogel-reinforced DISCO for clearing mammalian bodies. 2022, 19, 479-485.