Wenzhi Sun

Biography

B.A. Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 1999. Ph.D. Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2004. Postdoc Fellow, Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley, 2010. Associate Research Scientist, Neurobiology & Genetics, Jackson Laboratory, 2012. Research Specialist, Neuroscience & Applied Optics, HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus, 2016. Associate Research Professor, PI & Assistant Professor, ShanghaiTech University, 2016 - present

Research Interest

How we make sense of the visual world around us is an intriguing question. The answer to this question relies on our understanding of the complex visual system, which involves 40% of neurons and covers more than 30 different areas in our brain. The visual system is able to process the enormous information within the photons flying into our eyes. It groups millions of visible “pixels” into lines, edges, contours, shapes, and ultimately objects and scenes. To understand how visual system works, it is critical to identify its every composing neurons and further characterize the patterns of the synaptic connections among these neurons. Our lab uses optical imaging, visual research, and computational neuroscience to provide a new insight into understanding the general principles of cortical computation and its relationship with animal behaviors. Our studies are focused on (1) To understand the information transformation from thalamus to cortex; (2) To determine the information coding and processing in superior colliculus, and (3) To develop new optical imaging technique to push its application in new brain areas.