Bo Li
Professor
Robert Lourie Professor of Neuroscience
Ph.D., The University of British Columbia, 2003
bli@cshl.edu | 516-367-8485
My group studies the neural circuits underlying cognitive function and dysfunction as they relate to anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and autism. We use sophisticated technologies to manipulate specific neural circuits in the rodent brain to determine their role in behavior. We are interested in changes in synaptic strength that may underlie mental disorders.
Understanding the link between neural circuits and behavior has been the focus of research in my lab. We are particularly interested in studying the synaptic and circuit mechanisms underlying reward processing, attention, and learning and memory; as well as synaptic and circuit dysfunctions responsible for maladaptive behaviors that are related to major mental disorders. We integrate in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, imaging, molecular, genetic, optogenetic, and chemogenetic techniques to probe and manipulate the function of specific neural circuits – with a focus on the fear and reward circuits – in the rodent brain, and to determine how these circuits participate in adaptive or maladaptive behavioral responses in various tasks.
How to stop cancer cachexia? Start at the top
July 8, 2024
Professor Bo Li and a team of collaborators from four CSHL labs have discovered a new potential drug target for the lethal wasting disease.
Bite into this diet and disease quiz
July 5, 2023
Test your knowledge of how diet and nutrition affect health and disease with this short quiz.
The CSHL School of Biological Sciences’ class of 2023
May 7, 2023
The School of Biological Sciences awarded 11 Ph.D. degrees this year. Here, the graduates reflect on their time and experiences at CSHL.
Danger or pleasure? How we learn to tell the difference
April 5, 2023
CSHL neuroscientists discover that certain neurons in the brain’s central amygdala are key to helping us learn about threats and rewards.
Got junk food on the brain? These cells may be to blame
October 20, 2022
CSHL scientists discovered a group of neurons in mouse brains that drive overeating. The findings could help develop better obesity treatments.
Fine-tuning motivation in the brain
December 9, 2021
Scientists have pinpointed a group of neurons in the brain that can adjust a mouse’s motivational drive to seek out rewards.
Mammalian motivation circuits: Maybe they’re born with it
October 18, 2021
CSHL researchers found that young mice have neurons responsible for processing “positive” or “negative” signals before they experience those cues.
NIH BRAIN Initiative invests $9.7 million in CSHL scientists
December 29, 2020
CSHL scientists received grants to broaden our knowledge of the human brain and how to treat neurological disorders.
Bo Li and Richard Sever present at “Life Science Across the Globe”
November 18, 2020
Professor Bo Li and Assistant Director of CSHL Press Richard Sever gave talks as part of the “Life Science Across the Globe” series.
How does the brain process fear?
November 3, 2020
Though fear memories are made in the amygdala, a structure deep in the brain, lots of other brain structures participate.
Selected Publications
Oligophrenin-1 moderates behavioral responses to stress by regulating parvalbumin interneuron activity in the medial prefrontal cortex
1 Apr 2021 | Neuron
Wang, Minghui, Gallo, Nicholas, Tai, Yilin, Li, Bo, Van Aelst, Linda
A Central Amygdala-Globus Pallidus Circuit Conveys Unconditioned Stimulus-Related Information and Controls Fear Learning
18 Nov 2020 | Journal of Neuroscience | 40(47):9043-9054
Giovanniello, J, Yu, K, Furlan, A, Nachtrab, G, Sharma, R, Chen, X, Li, B
A Genetically Defined Compartmentalized Striatal Direct Pathway for Negative Reinforcement
1 Oct 2020 | Cell | 183(1):211-227.e20
Xiao, X, Deng, H, Furlan, A, Yang, T, Zhang, X, Hwang, G, Tucciarone, J, Wu, P, He, M, Palaniswamy, R, Ramakrishnan, C, Ritola, K, Hantman, A, Deisseroth, K, Osten, P, Huang, Z, Li, B
A central amygdala-globus pallidus circuit conveys unconditioned stimulus information and controls fear learning
30 Apr 2020 | bioRxiv
Giovanniello, Jacqueline, Yu, Kai, Furlan, Alessandro, Nachtrab, Gregory, Sharma, Radhashree, Chen, Xiaoke, Li, Bo
Parvalbumin interneuron dysfunction in a thalamo-prefrontal cortical circuit in Disc1 locus impairment mice
4 Feb 2020 | eNeuro
Delevich, K, Jaaro-Peled, H, Penzo, M, Sawa, A, Li, B
All Publications
Specific and comprehensive genetic targeting reveals brain-wide distribution and synaptic input patterns of GABAergic axo-axonic interneurons.
16 Jul 2024 | eLife | 13
Raudales, Ricardo, Kim, Gukhan, Kelly, Sean, Hatfield, Joshua, Guan, Wuqiang, Zhao, Shengli, Paul, Anirban, Qian, Yongjun, Li, Bo, Huang, Z
Unlocking opioid neuropeptide dynamics with genetically encoded biosensors.
15 Jul 2024 | Nature Neuroscience
Dong, Chunyang, Gowrishankar, Raajaram, Jin, Yihan, He, Xinyi, Gupta, Achla, Wang, Huikun, Sayar-Atasoy, Nilüfer, Flores, Rodolfo, Mahe, Karan, Tjahjono, Nikki, Liang, Ruqiang, Marley, Aaron, Or Mizuno, Grace, Lo, Darren, Sun, Qingtao, Whistler, Jennifer, Li, Bo, Gomes, Ivone, Von Zastrow, Mark, Tejeda, Hugo, Atasoy, Deniz, Devi, Lakshmi, Bruchas, Michael, Banghart, Matthew, Tian, Lin
Area postrema neurons mediate interleukin-6 function in cancer cachexia
1 Jun 2024 | Nature Communications | 15(1):4682
Sun, Qingtao, van de Lisdonk, Daniëlle, Ferrer, Miriam, Gegenhuber, Bruno, Wu, Melody, Park, Youngkyu, Tuveson, David, Tollkuhn, Jessica, Janowitz, Tobias, Li, Bo
Driving valence-specific behavior through single-cell resolution control in the amygdala
21 Feb 2024 | Neuron | 112(4):521-523
Jared Ramirez Sanchez, Leonardo, Li, Bo
Specific and comprehensive genetic targeting reveals brain-wide distribution and synaptic input patterns of GABAergic axo-axonic interneurons.
7 Nov 2023 | bioRxiv
Raudales, Ricardo, Kim, Gukhan, Kelly, Sean, Hatfield, Joshua, Guan, Wuqiang, Zhao, Shengli, Paul, Anirban, Qian, Yongjun, Li, Bo, Huang, Z