Yun Zhang
Associate Professor of Biology
Phone: 617-495-1107
E-mail:
Office: NW 357.10, 52 Oxford Street
Animals in their natural environment interact with different ecological cues and modify their behaviors based on their experiences. A central goal of neurobiology is to understand the function of neural circuits that regulate these dynamic behaviors. Our research focuses on olfactory learning and chemical signaling among different species, and we employ the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a genetic and genomic model system to address these questions.
Recent Publications
Hendricks, M., Ha, H., Maffey, N. and Zhang, Y. Compartmentalized calcium dynamics in a C. elegans interneuron encode head movement. Nature, advance online publication on May 13, 2012.
Cornils, A., Gloeck, M., Chen, Z., Zhang, Y. and Alcedo, J. Specific insulin-like peptides encode sensory information to regulate distinct developmental processes. Development, in press (2011).
Ha, H., Hendricks, M., Shen, Y., Gabel, C., Fang-Yen, C. M., Qin, Y., Colón-Ramos, D., Shen, K., Samuel, A.D.T. and Zhang, Y. Functional organization of a neural network that regulates aversive olfactory learning in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neuron 68, 1173-1186 (2010). Selected as the only featured article of the issue.
Zhang, X. and Zhang, Y. Neural-immune communication in Caenorhabditis elegans. Cell Host & Microbe 5(5): 425-9 (2009).
Zhang, Y. Neural mechanisms of Caenorhabditis elegans and pathogenic bacteria interactions. Current Opinion in Microbiology 11, 257-261 (2008).
Luo, L., Gabel, C. L., Ha, H., Zhang, Y. and Samuel, A.D.T. Olfactory behavior of swimming C. elegans analyzed by measuring motile responses to temporal variations of odorants. J. Neurophysiology 99, 2617-2625 (2008).
Pradel E*, Zhang Y*, Pujol N, Matsuyama T, Bargmann CI & Ewbank,
JJ (2007). Detection and avoidance of a natural product from the pathogenic
bacterium Serratia marcescens by Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA104: 2295-2300.
*Equal contribution
Zhang Y, Lu H & Bargmann CI (2005). Pathogenic bacteria induce aversive
olfactory learning in C. elegans. Nature 438: 179-184.
Zhang Y, Ma C, Delohery T, Nasipak B, Foat BC, Bounoutas
A, Bussemaker HJ, Kim SK & Chalfie M (2002). Identification of genes
expressed in C. elegans touch receptor neurons. Nature 418: 331-335.
Zhang Y & Chalfie M (2002). MTD-1, a touch-cell-specific membrane
protein with a subtle effect on touch sensitivity. Mechanisms of Development 119: 3-7.
Courses Taught
Neurobiology 95a: Can We Learn About How We Learn? - Learning and Memory
OEB 145: Genes and Behavior
OEB 223: Topics in Neurogenetics
OEB 369: Molecular Genetics of Neuroscience
Honors and Awards
2003-2004
American Heart Association Postdoctoral
Research Award
2005-2006
F. M. Kirby Postdoctoral Fellowships in Sensory
Neuroscience
2007-2010
Klingenstein Fellowship Awards in the Neurosciences
2007
Capranica Neuroethology Prize (one of the two recipients nationwide)
2008-2010
March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award
2008-2010
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship
2008-2012
John Merck
Scholars Program Award (one of the two recipients nationwide)
