Aihua Chen

Sept, 2000 – July, 2005     Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences

Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Ph.D (with Pei-Ji Liang)

Sept, 1996 – July, 2000     Department of Biological Science and Technology

Nanjing   University,  China

B.Sc.

Aug, 2012 – now               Institute of Brain Functional Genomics

East China Normal University

Professor

Aug, 2010 – Aug, 2012      Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology,

Washington University School of Medicine, U.S.A

Research Fellow

Aug, 2005 – Aug, 2010      Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology,

Washington University School of Medicine, U.S.A

Postdoctoral Fellow

(with Dora Angelaki and Gregory DeAngelis)

Aihua Chen is Head of the Laboratory of Sensation and Action, Institute of Brain Functional Genomics at East China Normal University. She graduated from Nanjing University with a B.S. degree in Biological Science and Technology (2000), and obtained her Ph.D. degree in Neurophysiology at Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005. Then she conducted a postdoctoral research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Department of Anatomy and Neurophysiology. She joined ECNU as a faculty member in 2012.

 

Research Interests

The long-term of Dr. Chen’s research is to understand the neural basis of how our brain uses multisensory information to control action. This work requires a combination of behavioral, cognitive and neural analyses. Currently, she focuses on two main projects:

1)     Multi-sensory decision-making. To maintain an accurate percept of our own position, orientation and movement relative to the environment, our bain need to integrate information from multiple sources (e.g., sensory cues, together with prior knowledge, expectations and context) in order to make perceptual decisions. We perform behavioral and electrophysiological experiments with trained primates by using a 3D virtual reality system and address the contributions of the cortical neurons to heading perception and neural mechanisms of multisensory cue integration during this perception.

2)     Sequential action Learning. Organizing actions, events, words, memories and thoughts into a sequence is a critical part of everyday behaviour. To understand how we perform sequences of tasks and the underlying neural circuitry, we combined primate behavioral, electrophysiology, optogentetics techniques, and neural signals analysis to address specific how large recurrent networks in the brain learn to produce specific sequential saccade behavior.

 

Publications：

1.    Fu Zeng, Adam Zaidel*, Aihua Chen*. Neuronal recalibration differs profoundly between multisensory cortical areas. eLife 2023;12:e82895. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82895 

2.    Ziqi Wu, Aihua Chen*, Xinying Cai*.Differential Modulation of Neuronal Activity in the Rostral and Caudal LIP during Reward-based Choice.Neuroscience Bulletin. 2023, 39(1):14–28(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-022-00948-0) 

3.    Jiawei Zhang, Mingyi Huang, Yong Gu, Aihua Chen*, Yuguo Yu*. Visual-Based Spatial Coordinate Dominates Probabilistic Multisensory Inference in Macaque MST-d Disparity Encoding. Brain Sciences. 2022, 12, 1387. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12101387

4.    Jiawei Zhang, Yong Gu, Aihua Chen*, Yuguo Yu*. Unveiling Dynamic System Strategies for Multisensory Processing: From Neuronal Fixed-Criterion Integration to Population Bayesian Inference. ResearchVolume 2022, Article ID 9787040,(https://doi.org/10.34133/2022/9787040)

5.    Shir Shalom-Sperber*, Aihua Chen, Adam Zaidel. Rapid cross-sensory adaptation of self-motion perception. Cortex 148:14-30, 2022 (doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.018)

6.    Jing Jia, Zhen Puyang, Xin Jin*, Aihua Chen*. Dynamic encoding of saccade sequences in primate frontal eye field.J. Physiology599.22 (2021): pp5061-5084 (https://doi.org/10.1113/JP282094)

7.    Bin Zhao, Yi Zhang, Aihua Chen*. Encoding of vestibular and optic flow cues to self-motion in the posterior Superior Temporal Polysensory area (STPp). J. Physiology559.16 (2021): pp3937-3954. (https://doi.org/10.1113/JP281913)

8.    Biao Yan*, Zhexuan Wang, Chenli Feng, Ruyi Yang, Tingting Liu, Yin Chen, Aihua Chen, Yuanzhi Yuan, Jiayi Zhang. Large-area photoreceptors degeneration model in rabbits by photocoagulation and oxidative stress in retina.Front. Neurosci. (doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.617175)

9.    Aihua Chen, Fu Zeng, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*.  Dynamics of heading and choice related signals in the parieto-insular vestibular cortex of macaque monkeys.J. Neuroscience. 41(14): 3254-3265, 2021.

10.  Michael Milham*, Christopher I. Petkov, …, Aihua Chen, …, Yong-di Zhou. Accelerating the Evolution of Nonhuman Primate Neuroimaging. Neuron. 105: 600-603, 2020

11.  Wen-Hao Zhang, He Wang, Ai-Hua Chen, Yong Gu, Tai Sing Lee, K.Y. Michael Wong*, Si Wu*. Complementary congruent and opposite neurons achieve concurrent multisensory integration and segregation. eLife. 2019; 8:e43753. doi: 10.7554/eLife.43753

12.  Yingying Zhang, Shasha Li, Danqing Jiang and Ai-Hua Chen*. Response properties of interneurons and pyramidal neurons in macaque MSTd and VPS areas during self-motion. Front. Neural Circuits. 12: 105, 2018 (doi: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00105)

13.  Xiang-yuan Song†, Zhen Puyang†, Ai-Hua Chen, Jin Zhao, Xiao-jiao Li,Ya-ying Chen, Wei-jun Tang* and Yu-yan Zhang*. Diffusion Tensor Imaging Detects Microstructural Differences of Visual Pathway in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 12: 426, 2018 (doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00426)

14.  Michael P. Milham*, …, Ai-Hua Chen, …, Charles E. Schroeder. An open resource for non-human primate imaging. Neuron. 100: 1-14, 2018

15.  邵孟孟，张莹莹*，陈爱华* 猕猴顶岛前庭皮层对前庭刺激方向选择的聚类性研究，生理学报. 70(4): 369-383, 2018

16.  Meng-meng Shao, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki, Ai-Hua Chen*. Clustering of Heading Selectivity and Perception-Related Activity in the Ventral Intraparietal Area. J. Neurophysiol. 119(3): 1113-1126, 2018

17.  张莹莹，蒋丹青，李莎莎，梁培基*，陈爱华* 自身运动感知中视觉-前庭整合的研究进展，生理学报. 69(5): 693-702，2017

18.  Aihua Chen, Yong Gu, Sheng Liu, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki. Evidence for a Causal Contribution of Macaque Vestibular, but not intraparietal, cortex to heading perception. J.Neuroscience. 36(13): 3789-3798, 2016.

19.  Wenhao Zhang, Aihua Chen, Malte J. Rasch*, Si Wu*. Decentralized multisensory information integration in neural systems. J. Neuroscience. 36(2): 532-547, 2016.

20.  Tatyana A. Yakusheva, Pablo M. Blazquez, Aihua Chen, Dora E. Angelaki*. Spatiotemporal properties of optic flow and vestibular tuning in the cerebellar nodulus and uvula. J. Neuroscience. 33(38): 15145-15160, 2013.

21.  Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Functional Specialization of the Ventral Intraparietal Area for Multisensory Heading Discrimination. J. Neuroscience. 33(8): 3567-3581, 2013.

22.  Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Representation of vestibular and visual cues to self-motion in ventral intraparietal cortex. J. Neuroscience. 31(33): 12036-12052, 2011.

23.  Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Convergence of vestibular and visual self-motion signals in an area of the posterior sylvian fissure. J. Neuroscience. 31(32): 11617-11627, 2011.

24.  Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. A comparison of vestibular spatiotemporal tuning in macaque parietoinsular vestibular cortex, ventral intraparietal area, and medial superior temporal area. J. Neuroscience. 31(8): 3082-3094, 2011

25.  Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Macaque Parieto-Insular Vestibular Cortex: Responses to self-motion and optic flow. J. Neuroscience. 30(8): 3022-3042, 2010

26.  Aihua Chen, Yong Gu,  Katsumasa Takahashi, Dora E. Angelaki, Gregory C. DeAngelis*. Clustering of self-motion selectivity and visual response properties in Macaque Area MSTd. J. Neurophysiol. 100(5):2669-2683, 2008

27.  Guang-Li Wang, Yi-Zhou, Aihua Chen, Pu-Ming Zhang, Pei-Ji Liang*. A robust method for spike sorting with automatic overlap decomposition. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 53 (6): 1195-1198, 2006.

28.  Yi-Zhou, Aihua Chen, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Color information encoded by the spatiotemporal patterns of light response in ganglion cells of chick retina. Brain Research1059 (1): 1-6, 2005.

29.  Xin Jin, Aihua Chen, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Information transmission rate changes of retinal ganglion cells during contrast adaptation. Brain Research, 1055 (1-2): 156-164, 2005.

30.  Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Luminance adaptation increased contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells. Neuroreport 16 (4): 371-376, 2005.

31.  Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Firing rates and dynamic correlated activities of ganglion cells both contribute to retinal information processing. Brain Research 1017 (1-2): 13-20, 2004.

32.  Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Chicken retinal ganglion cells response characteristics: multi-channel electrode recording study. Science in China (series C), 46 (4): 414-421, 2003.

Laboratory of Sensation and Action:

The long-term of Dr. Chen’s research is to understand the neural basis of how our brain uses multisensory information to control action. This work requires a combination of behavioral, cognitive and neural analyses. Currently, she focuses on two main projects:

Multi-sensory decision-making. To maintain an accurate percept of our own position, orientation and movement relative to the environment, our bain need to integrate information from multiple sources (e.g., sensory cues, together with prior knowledge, expectations and context) in order to make perceptual decisions. We perform behavioral and electrophysiological experiments with trained primates by using a 3D virtual reality system and address the contributions of the cortical neurons to heading perception and neural mechanisms of multisensory cue integration during this perception.

Sequential action Learning. Organizing actions, events, words, memories and thoughts into a sequence is a critical part of everyday behaviour. To understand how we perform sequences of tasks and the underlying neural circuitry, we combined primate behavioral, electrophysiology, optogentetics techniques, and neural signals analysis to address specific how large recurrent networks in the brain learn to produce specific sequential saccade behavior.

Animal Physiology, Progress of Brain Research

Current Research Support:

1）  The neural basis of cross-sensory (visual-vestibular) calibration of self-motion perception in primates (Agency: Joint NSFC-ISF Research Grant, Type: No. 32061143003, Period: 10/2020 – 09/2023, ￥2,000,000, Chinese PI: Aihua Chen; Israeli PI: Adam Zaidel)

2）  The neural mechanism of memory guided sequential saccade (Agency: National Natural Science Foundation，Type: No. 31871079, Period: 01/2019 – 12/2022,￥60,000，Principal Investigator)

3）  Neural decoding of sequential action (Agency: Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology, Type: No. 18JC1412500，Period: 06/2018 – 05/2021,  ￥800,000，Principal Investigator)

4）  The whole brain mapping and cloning monkey project for Mooming Poo (Agency: Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project, Type: No. 2018SHZDZX05，Period: 07/2018 – 06/2023,  ￥3000,000，Sub-project leader)

 

Past Research Support:

1)     The neural mechanism for adaptation of vestibular-visual perception (Agency: National Natural Science Foundation，Type: No. 31571121， Period: 01/2016 – 12/2019,￥65,000，Principal Investigator)

2)     The multichannel recording system based on microchip technology for Longnian Lin (Agency: Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology, Type: No. 16JC1400100，Period: 07/2016 – 06/2019,  ￥1200,000，Sub-project leader)

3)     Research on deep neural network and intelligent system based on brain information processing for Jianfeng Feng (Agency: Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology, Type: No. 15JC1400104，Period: 07/2015 – 06/2019,  ￥500,000，Sub-project leader)

4)     The role of insular cortex during self-motion perception (Agency: Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, Type: No. 14QA1401700，Period: 07/2014 – 06/2016,  ￥200,000，Principal Investigator)

5)     The Neural basis of visual and vestibular signals during primate self motion perception (Agency: National Natural Science Foundation，Type: No.31371029， Period: 01/2014 – 12/2017,￥950,000，Principal Investigator)

6)     The role of ventral intraparietal area during self-motion perception（Agency: Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China，Type: No. 20130076120021，Period: 01/2014 – 12/2016，￥40,000，Principal Investigator）

7)     The neural basis of visual and vestibular integration in ventral intraparietal area (Agency: Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission， Type: No. 14ZZ051, Period: 01/2014 – 12/2016，￥160,000，Principal Investigator)

8)     The neural basis of multisensory integration in the self motion perception (Agency: Research and innovation fund project of East China Normal University, Type: No. 78210258, Period: 01/2013  – 12/2014，￥150,000，Principal Investigator)

9)     The role of visual posterior sylvian area during heading perception (Agency: State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neurosciences and Learning Open Project Grant，Type: No. CNLZD1301. Period: 01/2014 – 12/2015，￥150,000，Principal Investigator)

 

Mentor/Supervisor for the following grant or fellowship:

1)     Neural mechanism of visual motion and form interaction for heading perception during self-motion in primate (Agency: National Natural Science Foundation，Type: No. 31800866， Period: 01/2019 – 12/2021,￥230,000，Principal Investigator: Yingying Zhang)

2)     The neural mechanism for generation of sequential saccade in the primate lateral intraparietal cortex (Agency: China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Type: No. 2017M621411, Period: 09/2017 – 12/2019, ￥50,000，Principal Investigator: Zhen Puyang)

3)     The functional role of the lateral intraparietal cortex during sequential saccade (Agency: Shanghai Science and Technology Talent Program, Type: No. 19YF1413500, Period: 05/2019 –04/2022, ￥200,000, Principal Investigator: Zhen Puyang)

4)     The neural mechanism for motion and form interaction in macaque superior temporal sulcus (Agency: China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Type: No. 2019M621411, Period: 09/2019 – 12/2021, ￥80,000，Principal Investigator: Ting Lv)

Research Papers

1.      Fu Zeng, Adam Zaidel*, Aihua Chen*. Neuronal recalibration differs profoundly between multisensory cortical areas. eLife 2023;12:e82895. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.82895 

2.      Ziqi Wu, Aihua Chen*, Xinying Cai*.Differential Modulation of Neuronal Activity in the Rostral and Caudal LIP during Reward-based Choice.Neuroscience Bulletin. 2023, 39(1):14–28(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-022-00948-0) 

3.      Jiawei Zhang, Mingyi Huang, Yong Gu, Aihua Chen*, Yuguo Yu*. Visual-Based Spatial Coordinate Dominates Probabilistic Multisensory Inference in Macaque MST-d Disparity Encoding. Brain Sciences. 2022, 12, 1387. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12101387

4.      Jiawei Zhang, Yong Gu, Aihua Chen*, Yuguo Yu*. Unveiling Dynamic System Strategies for Multisensory Processing: From Neuronal Fixed-Criterion Integration to Population Bayesian Inference. ResearchVolume 2022, Article ID 9787040,(https://doi.org/10.34133/2022/9787040)

5.      Shir Shalom-Sperber*, Aihua Chen, Adam Zaidel. Rapid cross-sensory adaptation of self-motion perception. Cortex 148:14-30, 2022 (doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.018)

6.      Jing Jia, Zhen Puyang, Xin Jin*, Aihua Chen*. Dynamic encoding of saccade sequences in primate frontal eye field.J. Physiology599.22 (2021): pp5061-5084 (https://doi.org/10.1113/JP282094)

7.      Bin Zhao, Yi Zhang, Aihua Chen*. Encoding of vestibular and optic flow cues to self-motion in the posterior Superior Temporal Polysensory area (STPp). J. Physiology559.16 (2021): pp3937-3954. (https://doi.org/10.1113/JP281913)

8.      Biao Yan*, Zhexuan Wang, Chenli Feng, Ruyi Yang, Tingting Liu, Yin Chen, Aihua Chen, Yuanzhi Yuan, Jiayi Zhang. Large-area photoreceptors degeneration model in rabbits by photocoagulation and oxidative stress in retina.Front. Neurosci. (doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.617175)

9.      Aihua Chen, Fu Zeng, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*.  Dynamics of heading and choice related signals in the parieto-insular vestibular cortex of macaque monkeys.J. Neuroscience. 41(14): 3254-3265, 2021.

10.   Michael Milham*, Christopher I. Petkov, …, Aihua Chen, …, Yong-di Zhou. Accelerating the Evolution of Nonhuman Primate Neuroimaging. Neuron. 105: 600-603, 2020

11.   Wen-Hao Zhang, He Wang, Ai-Hua Chen, Yong Gu, Tai Sing Lee, K.Y. Michael Wong*, Si Wu*. Complementary congruent and opposite neurons achieve concurrent multisensory integration and segregation. eLife. 2019; 8:e43753. doi: 10.7554/eLife.43753

12.   Yingying Zhang, Shasha Li, Danqing Jiang and Ai-Hua Chen*. Response properties of interneurons and pyramidal neurons in macaque MSTd and VPS areas during self-motion. Front. Neural Circuits. 12: 105, 2018 (doi: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00105)

13.   Xiang-yuan Song†, Zhen Puyang†, Ai-Hua Chen, Jin Zhao, Xiao-jiao Li,Ya-ying Chen, Wei-jun Tang* and Yu-yan Zhang*. Diffusion Tensor Imaging Detects Microstructural Differences of Visual Pathway in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 12: 426, 2018 (doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00426)

14.   Michael P. Milham*, …, Ai-Hua Chen, …, Charles E. Schroeder. An open resource for non-human primate imaging. Neuron. 100: 1-14, 2018

15.   邵孟孟，张莹莹*，陈爱华* 猕猴顶岛前庭皮层对前庭刺激方向选择的聚类性研究，生理学报. 70(4): 369-383, 2018

16.   Meng-meng Shao, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki, Ai-Hua Chen*. Clustering of Heading Selectivity and Perception-Related Activity in the Ventral Intraparietal Area. J. Neurophysiol. 119(3): 1113-1126, 2018

17.   张莹莹，蒋丹青，李莎莎，梁培基*，陈爱华* 自身运动感知中视觉-前庭整合的研究进展，生理学报. 69(5): 693-702，2017

18.   Aihua Chen, Yong Gu, Sheng Liu, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki. Evidence for a Causal Contribution of Macaque Vestibular, but not intraparietal, cortex to heading perception. J.Neuroscience. 36(13): 3789-3798, 2016.

19.   Wenhao Zhang, Aihua Chen, Malte J. Rasch*, Si Wu*. Decentralized multisensory information integration in neural systems. J. Neuroscience. 36(2): 532-547, 2016.

20.   Tatyana A. Yakusheva, Pablo M. Blazquez, Aihua Chen, Dora E. Angelaki*. Spatiotemporal properties of optic flow and vestibular tuning in the cerebellar nodulus and uvula. J. Neuroscience. 33(38): 15145-15160, 2013.

21.   Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Functional Specialization of the Ventral Intraparietal Area for Multisensory Heading Discrimination. J. Neuroscience. 33(8): 3567-3581, 2013.

22.   Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Representation of vestibular and visual cues to self-motion in ventral intraparietal cortex. J. Neuroscience. 31(33): 12036-12052, 2011.

23.   Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Convergence of vestibular and visual self-motion signals in an area of the posterior sylvian fissure. J. Neuroscience. 31(32): 11617-11627, 2011.

24.   Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. A comparison of vestibular spatiotemporal tuning in macaque parietoinsular vestibular cortex, ventral intraparietal area, and medial superior temporal area. J. Neuroscience. 31(8): 3082-3094, 2011

25.   Aihua Chen, Gregory C. DeAngelis, Dora E. Angelaki*. Macaque Parieto-Insular Vestibular Cortex: Responses to self-motion and optic flow. J. Neuroscience. 30(8): 3022-3042, 2010

26.   Aihua Chen, Yong Gu,  Katsumasa Takahashi, Dora E. Angelaki, Gregory C. DeAngelis*. Clustering of self-motion selectivity and visual response properties in Macaque Area MSTd. J. Neurophysiol. 100(5):2669-2683, 2008

27.   Guang-Li Wang, Yi-Zhou, Aihua Chen, Pu-Ming Zhang, Pei-Ji Liang*. A robust method for spike sorting with automatic overlap decomposition. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 53 (6): 1195-1198, 2006.

28.   Yi-Zhou, Aihua Chen, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Color information encoded by the spatiotemporal patterns of light response in ganglion cells of chick retina. Brain Research1059 (1): 1-6, 2005.

29.   Xin Jin, Aihua Chen, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Information transmission rate changes of retinal ganglion cells during contrast adaptation. Brain Research, 1055 (1-2): 156-164, 2005.

30.   Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Luminance adaptation increased contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells. Neuroreport 16 (4): 371-376, 2005.

31.   Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Firing rates and dynamic correlated activities of ganglion cells both contribute to retinal information processing. Brain Research 1017 (1-2): 13-20, 2004.

32.   Aihua Chen, Yi Zhou, Hai-Qing Gong, Pei-Ji Liang*. Chicken retinal ganglion cells response characteristics: multi-channel electrode recording study. Science in China (series C), 46 (4): 414-421, 2003.

 

Book

1)       Pei.-Ji. Liang& Ai-Hua Chen Multi-electrode recording and neuronal information processing, 1^st Edition. Beijing: Beijing Polytechnic University Press, 2003. (in Chinese)

2014:   Shanghai Star Talent Program (Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality)