Ming Yi Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University

Contact

Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University

38 Xueyuan Road

Beijing 100191, China

E-mail: mingyi@hsc.pku.edu.cn

Academic experience

Dr. Yi received his medical degree in Peking University Health Science Center, and Ph.D. training in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology of University College London (UCL). Dr. Yi is currently a principal investigator in Neuroscience Research Institute of Peking University and in Medical Innovation Center (Taizhou) of Peking University.

Research: Decoding, manipulating and reconstructing memory

Learning and memory are crucial cognitive functions of the brain, whereas pathological memories underlie a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain. Over the past few decades, cognitive neuroscientists have identified multiple functionally specialized neuronal populations in the brain, including place cells, grid cells, and engram cells, which substantially promote our understanding of cognition at neuronal and network levels. Yi lab, with combinative application of in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, two-photon calcium imaging, opto- and chemo-genetics and molecular biology, focuses on understanding the mechanisms of memory (Nat Commun 2026; Adv Sci 2025; Sci Adv 2020) and pathological memory (PLoS Biol 2024; Autophagy 2024; Nat Commun 2024; Cell Rep 2023; 2022; 2019) at neuronal and circuitry levels. Based on these insights, we have developed novel clinical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for related neuropsychiatric disorders (IEEE Trans Med Imag 2026; Med Image Anal 2024; Brain Behav Immun 2024).

Funding

¨ National Natural Science Foundation 2026 (32571267)

¨ Beijing Natural Science Foundation 2025 (5252007)

¨ National Key Research and Development Program of China (BT & IT) 2024 (2024YFF1206505)

¨ National Natural Science Foundation 2023 (32271053)

¨ Beijing Natural Science Foundation 2023 (L222016)

¨ National Natural Science Foundation 2019 (31872774)

¨ Beijing Natural Science Foundation 2018 (5182013)

Representative publications

¨ Zheng Y, Tong J, Xing Y, Shao S, Liu N, Liu S, Wu J, Yin W, Wang J, Yuan S, Cui K, Qi X, Cui S, Wan Y, Yi M. Parvalbumin-positive neurons in the medial septum participate in the formation of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory. Nat Commun. 2026;17(1):4259

¨ Yin W, Huang C, Chen L, Huang X, Wang Z, Bian Y, Zhou Y, Wan Y, Han T, Yi M. Facilitate robust early screening of cerebral palsy via general movements assessment with multi-modality co-learning. IEEE Trans Med Imag. 2026; 45(5):1847-1857

¨ Tong J, Xing Y, Zheng Y, Wang L, Shao S, Wu J, Ma L, Liu S, Liu N, Qi X, Wang T, Cui K, Cui S, Wan Y, Yi M. Long-term memory updating parallels altered awake and sleep hippocampal replays. Adv Sci. 2025; 13(3):e16480

¨ Ma L, Yue L, Liu S, Xu S, Tong J, Sun X, Su L, Cui S, Liu FY, Wan Y, Yi M. A distinct neuronal ensemble of prelimbic cortex mediates spontaneous pain in rats with peripheral inflammation. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):7922

¨ Wang J, Gao S, Fu S, Li Y, Su L, Li X, Wu G, Jiang J, Zhao Z, Yang C, Wang X, Cui K, Sun X, Qi X, Wang C, Sun H, Shao S, Tian Y, Gong T, Luo J, Zheng J, Cui S, Liao F, Liu F, Wang D, Wong CCL, Yi M, Wan Y. Irisin reprograms microglia through activation of STAT6 and prevents cognitive dysfunction after surgery in mice. Brain Behav Immun. 2025;125:68-91

¨ Cui K, Qi X, Liu Z, Sun W, Jiao P, Liu C, Tong J, Sun X, Sun H, Fu S, Wang J, Zheng Y, Liu T, Cui S, Liu F, Mao J, Zheng J, Wan Y, Yi M. Dominant activities of fear engram cells in the dorsal dentate gyrus underlies fear generalization. PLoS Biol. 2024. 22(7):e3002679

¨ Yin W, Chen L, Huang X, Huang C, Wang Z, Bian Y, Wan Y, Zhou Y, Hang T, Yi M. A self-supervised spatio-temporal attention network for video-based 3D infant pose estimation. Med Image Anal. 2024. 96:103208

¨ Fu S, Sun H, Wang J, Gao S, Zhu L, Cui K, Liu S, Qi X, Guan R, Fan X, Liu Q, Chen W, Su L, Cui S, Liao F, Liu F, Wong CL, Yi M, Wan Y. Impaired neuronal macroautophagy in the prelimbic cortex contributes to comorbid anxiety-like behaviors in rats with chronic neuropathic pain. Autophagy. 2024. Mar 24:1-18

¨ Shao S, Zheng Y, Fu Z, Wang J, Zhang Y, Wang C, Qi X, Gong T, Ma L, Lin X, Yu H, Wan Y, Zhang H, Yi M. Ventral hippocampal CA1 modulates pain behaviors in mice with peripheral inflammation. Cell Rep. 2023; 42(1): 112017

¨ Qi X, Cui K, Zhang Y, Wang L, Tong J, Sun W, Shao S, Wang J, Wang C, Sun X, Xiao L, Xi K, Cui S, Liu F, Ma L, Zheng J, Yi M, Wan Y. A nociceptive neuronal ensemble in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex underlies pain chronicity. Cell Rep. 2022; 41(11):111833

¨ Sun H, Fu S, Yin X, Sun X, Qi X, Cui K, Wang J, Ma L, Liu FY, Cui S, Liao FF, Wang XH, Yi M, Wan Y. Development of CRISPR-SaCas9 system for projection- and function-specific gene editing in the rat brain. Sci Adv. 2020; 6: eaay6687

¨ Ma L, Yue L, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Han B, Cui S, Liu FY, Wan Y, Yi M. Spontaneous pain disrupts ventral hippocampal CA1-infralimbic cortex connectivity and modulates pain progression in rats with peripheral inflammation. Cell Rep. 2019;29:1579–1593