Yue Dai, professor

2002-2003:  Postdorctor, Dept of Physiology & Biophysics,University of Washington, Seattle, USA, Supervisor: Marc Binder

1996-2001:  PhD, Dept of Physiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, Supervisor: Larry Jordan

1992-1996:  MSc, Dept of Applied Mathematics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, Supervisor: Peter Aitchison

1978-1992:  BSc, Dept of Mathematics, Yunnan University, Kunming, China

2014-Present: Zijiang Professor, School of Communication and Electronic Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

2003-2013: Senior researcher, Spinal Cord Reseach Center, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

2002-2003: Postdorctor, Dept of Physiology and Biophysics,University of Washington, Seattle, USA

Membership of Society for Neuroscience (SfN) since 1997

Membership of The Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS) since 2015

Membership of American Physiological Scociety (APS) since 2018

        My research focuses on spinal motor system and aims to understand the mechanisms underlying walking in mammals and adaptation of motor system induced by exercise. Specifically, my research focuses on the following four aspects: (1) Studies of voltage-gated ion channels in locomotor activity-related neurons and exploration of their roles in regulation of neuronal excitability and generation of locomotion; (2) Identification of spinal neurons involved in the generation of locomotion and investigation of their membrane properties modulated by neurotransmitters for locomotion; (3) Simulation studies of locomotor behavior through computational properties of spinal neurons and networks and investigation of the integrative capability of spinal networks for walking; (4) Studies of neuronal plasticity modulated by exercise intervention.

        An integrative approach that combines electrophysiology and computational neuroscience is used in my research. The key of this approach is the utilization of patch clamp technique and computational modelling. Using whole-cell patch clamp technique and slice & isolated brainstem-spinal cord preparations we are able to study the intrinsic membrane properties directly from the brainstem or spinal neurons and to investigate their properties modulated by neurotransmitters such as serotonin, acetylcholine, and noradrenalin etc., which are essential to produce locomotion in rodent spinal cords. On the other hand, computational approach allows us to simulate dynamical modulation of intrinsic membrane properties during locomotion based on the computational properties of brainstem or spinal neurons and networks. Using mathematical modelling and computer simulation we have greatly simplified the complexity of the nervous system and reconstruct the spinal neurons and networks for studies of the neuronal excitability and motor control on the basis of channel mechanisms. Results from these studies have enhanced our understanding of integrative functions of spinal motor system and provided interpretation, prediction, and guidance for further research. Over the last decade we have built several types of cat, rat, and mouse spinal and brainstem neuron models which could replicate the most dynamic properties of these neurons and have been successfully applied to our research for some important findings. Most of these models written in NEURON or  GENESIS have been uploaded to the ModelDB available for public.

1. Foundation of Neurophysiology

2. Computational Neuroscience

3. Artificial Intelligence

4. Bioinformatics

5. Engineering Ethics

6. Scientific Writing

7. Professional English for Communication Engineering

8. Sport Professional English

9. Introduction to Kinesiology

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (32471187): chief in charge of project, Jan. 2025 - Dec. 2028

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171129): chief in charge of project, Jan. 2022 - Dec. 2025

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571222): chief in charge of project, Jan. 2016 - Dec. 2019

Selected Publication （2018-2025）

Yi Cheng, Xingyu Wang, Qiang Zhang, Renkai Ge, Yue Dai* (2025) Multiple Patterns of Persistent Inward Currents with Multiple Types of Repetitive Firings in Medullary Serotonergic Neurons of Mice: An Experimental and Modeling Study PLOS Computational Biology 21(4): e1012918

(Q1, IF=4.3)  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012918

 Yue Dai*, Yi Cheng, Renkai Ge, Ke Chen and Liming Yang (2024) Exercise-induced adaptation of neurons in the vertebrate locomotor system Journal of Sport and Health Science 13(2) 160-171, 2024

(Q1, IF=12.2)  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254623001047

       Yue Dai (2022) Book: Intelligent System for Motor Control, Shanghai Science and Technology Academic Press, 1st Edition, 2022.

Ke Chen and Yue Dai* (2022) Chronic exercise increases excitability of lamina X neurons through enhancement of persistent inward currents and dendritic development in mice Journal of Physiology 600 (16): 3775-3793, 2022

(Q1, IF=6.2)  https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP283037

Qiang Zhang, Yue Dai* , Zhou Junya, Renkai Ge, Yiyun Hua, Randall K Powers and Marc D Binder（2022 The Effects of Membrane Potential Oscillations on the Excitability of Rat Hypoglossal Motoneurons Frontiers in Physiology  13:955566

(Q2, IF=4.8) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.955566/abstract

Qiang Zhang, Yi Cheng, Mei Zhou and Yue Dai* (2022) Locomotor pattern and force generation modulated by ionic channels: a computational study of spinal networks underlying locomotion. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 16:809599

(Q2, IF=2.4) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncom.2022.809599/full

Ke Chen, Xing Ge and Yue Dai* (2022) Cholinergic modulation of persistent inward currents is mediated by activating muscarinic receptors of serotonergic neurons in the brainstem of ePet-EYFP mice. Experimental Brain Research   240: 1177-1189, 2022

(Q4, IF=2.1), https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-022-06322-w

Yi Cheng, Nan Song, Renkai Ge, and Yue Dai* (2021) Serotonergic Modulation of Persistent Inward Currents in    

       Serotonergic Neurons of Medulla in ePet-EYFP Mice. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 15: 657445 

       (Q2, IF=3.5)  https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2021.657445

Renkai Ge and Yue Dai* (2020) Three-week treadmill exercise enhances persistent inward currents, facilitates dendritic plasticity, and upregulates the excitability of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons in ePet-EYFP mice. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 14:575626

(Q1, IF=5.5）https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2020.575626

Qiang Zhang and Yue Dai* (2020) A modelling study of spinal motoneuron recruitment regulated by ionic channels during fictive locomotion. Journal of Computational Neuroscience 48 (4): 409-428, 2020 

(Q4, IF=1.8) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10827-020-00763-4

Yi Cheng, Qiang Zhang and Yue Dai* (2020) Sequential Activation of Multiple Persistent Inward Currents Induces Staircase Currents in Serotonergic Neurons of Medulla in ePet-EYFP Mice. Journal of Neurophysiology 123:277-288, 2020

(Q3, IF=2.5)

Yi Cheng, Renkai Ge, Ke Chen, and Yue Dai* (2019) Modulation of NMDA-mediated intrinsic membrane properties of ascending commissural interneurons in neonatal rat spinal cord. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 18 (2): 163-172, 2019

(Q4, IF=2.5)

Ke Chen, Renkai Ge, Yi Cheng, and Yue Dai* (2019) Three-week treadmill training changes the electrophysiological properties of spinal interneurons in the mice. Experimental Brain Research 237 (11), 2925-2938, 2019

(Q4, IF=2.1)

Renkai Ge, Ke Chen, Yi Cheng and Yue Dai* (2019) Morphological and Electrophysiological Properties of Serotonin Neurons with NMDA Modulation in the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region of Neonatal ePet-EYFP Mice. Experimental Brain Research. 237 (12), 3333-3350, 2019

(Q4, IF=2.1)

Yue Dai*, Yi Cheng, Brent Fedirchuk, Larry M. Jordan, and Junhao Chu (2018) Motoneuron Output Regulated by Ionic Channels: A Modelling Study of Motoneuron Frequency-Current Relationships during Fictive Locomotion. Journal of Neurophysiology 120:1840-1858, 2018

(Q3, IF=3.0)

Abstracts for Conference

Yue Dai*; Yi Cheng; Xingyu Wang; Liming Yang (2024) A modeling study of multiple patterns of persistent inward currents with manifold types of repetitive firings in brainstem serotonergic neurons of mice The 17th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2024) P-375

Xiaoyu Zhang; Yueru Chen; Yi Cheng; Liming Yang; Yue Dai* (2024) Effects of channel modulation on the recruitment of motoneuron pools during white-noise-induced membrane potential oscillation The 17th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2024) P-399

Liming Yang; Yi Cheng; Xinyi Wei; Yueru Chen; Xiaoyu Zhang; Yue Dai* (2024) Synchronizing effects of chronic exercise on neurons of mesencephalic locomotor region and spinal cord in miceThe 17th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2024) P-397

Yueru Chen; Xiaoyu Zhang; Yi Cheng; Liming Yang; Yue Dai* (2024) The effects of membrane potential oscillation on rhythmic generation in the spinal interneurons coupled by reciprocal inhibition The 17th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2024) P-376

Yi Cheng; Liming Yang; Renkai Ge; Yue Dai* (2024) The interaction of cholinergic and serotonergic systems in the brainstem regulates locomotor rhythm in mice The 17th Annual Meeting of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2024) P-373

Xinchen Pi; Yi Cheng; Yue Dai* (2024) Ionic Channel Mechanisms Underlying Recruitment of Spinal Motoneurons and Force Generation of Skeletal Muscle in the Mammals. 2024 China Biomedical Engineering Conference & Medical Innovation Summit (BME 2024) PO1131

Xiaoyu Zhang; Yueru Chen; Yi Cheng; Liming Yang; Yue Dai* (2024) Model Simulation Study on the Effect of Ion Channel Oscillations Induced by White Noise on Motoneurons Pool Recruitment 2024 China Biomedical Engineering Conference & Medical Innovation Summit (BME 2024) PO1134

Yi Cheng; Yue Dai* (2024) Persistent inward currents drive fictive locomotion in the isolated spinal cord by regulating the input-output relationship of motoneurons in rats 2024 China Biomedical Engineering Conference & Medical Innovation Summit (BME 2024) PO1132

Yue Dai*and Yi Cheng (2019) Serotonergic Modulation of Tetrodotoxin-, Dihydropyridine-, and Riluzole-Resistant Persistent Inward Current in Serotonergic Neurons in the Medulla of ePet-EYFP Mice. The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-078.

Yi Cheng, Renkai Ge, Ke Chen, Qiang Zhang and Yue Dai* (2019) Multiple Components of Persistent Inward Currents with Serotonergic Modulation in Serotonergic Neurons of Medulla in ePet-EYFP Mice. The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-079.

Renkai Ge, Yi Cheng, Ke Chen, Qiang Zhang, Dongyan Yang and Yue Dai * (2019) Three-week treadmill training enhances persistent inward currents of raphe serotonergic neurons in ePet-EYFP mice.The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-080.

Ke Chen, Ge Xing, Renkai Ge, Yi Cheng, Zhang Qiang and Yue Dai * (2019) Cholinergic Modulation of Persistent Inward Currents is Mediated by Activating Muscarinic Receptors of Serotonergic Neurons in the Brainstem of ePet-EYFP Mice The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-081.

Qiang Zhang, Dongyan Yang, Xingyu Wang and Weihang Xu and Yue Dai * (2019)A Simulation Study of Spinal Motoneuron Recruitment Regulated By Ionic Channels. The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-082.

Dongyan Yang, Renkai Ge, Qiang Zhang, Xingyu Wang and Weihang Xu and Yue Dai * (2019) A Modeling Study of NMDA Modulation of Serotonergic Neurons in Mesencephalic Locomotor Region in ePet EYFP Mice. The 13th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2019) P-084.

Yi Cheng, Ren-Kai Ge and Yue Dai* (2017) The mechanisms underlying the cholinergic modulation of 5-HT neurons in the brainstem of ePet-EYFP mice. The 12th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2017)P-215.

Ke Chen, Yi Cheng, Nan Song, Xing Ge and Yue Dai* (2017) Effects of three weeks of-treadmill training on the electrophysiological properties of spinal interneuron in the mice. The 12th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2017)P-213.

Renkai Ge, Yi Cheng, Shengkui Yang,  Ke Chen, Nan Song, Xing Ge and Yue Dai* (2017) Electrophysiological and NMDA modulatory properties of neurons in the mesencephalic locomotor region of ePet-EYFP neonatal mice. The 12th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2017) P-216.

Yue Dai* and Yi Cheng (2017) Motoneuron Output Regulated by Ionic Channels: A Modelling Study of Motoneuron Frequency-Current Relationships during Fictive Locomotion. The 12th Biennial Conference of Chinese Neuroscience Society (CNS 2017)P-212.

Yue Dai*, Yang S, Chen K, Ge R, Cheng Y, Song N and Ge X (2016) Characterization of Serotonergic Neurons in the Medulla of ePet-EYFP Mice. Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Abs 687.10

Yue Dai*and Jordan LM (2014) Activation of muscarinic receptors underlies cholinergic modulation of serotonergic neurons in the brainstem of ePet-EYFP mice.Society for Neuroscience (SFN) Abs 507.20

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