Description of Research Expertise

The primary objective of our lab is to unveil the mystery of sleep. By integrating diverse experimental and computational tools—including electrophysiology, two-photon imaging, proteomics, numerical modeling, and artificial intelligence—we aim to develop a coherent theory to explain the function and origin of sleep. Currently, we are focused on advancing the self-cleansing brain hypothesis for sleep, which also provides profound insights into neurodegenerative disorders.

We believe that the primary function of sleep is to restore metabolic homeostasis. Excess waste produced by neuronal activity during wakefulness generates the drive to sleep, while the function of sleep is to remove these harmful wastes, ensuring optimal brain performance. Our recent research has discovered that neurons, acting as small biophysical pumps, synchronize their activity during sleep to create large-amplitude and rhythmic ionic waves (currents) in the brain's interstitial fluid. These waves power fluid flow, effectively clearing metabolic waste from the brain. We summarize this principle as, neurons that fire together shower together. In light of this foundational concept, we aim to investigate how neural circuits are shaped by the demand for self-cleansing throughout the evolution of sleep.


Here are a few research directions we are currently pursuing:

(1) Recording and visualizing neural activity and brain interstitial fluid dynamics across different brain states.

(2) Identifying the macroscale circuitry organizing global fluid perfusion and molecular clearance.

(3) Pinpointing the micro-circuitry orchestrating local fluid perfusion and brain clearance.

(4) Determining how neural dynamics regulate the metabolism of endogenous disease-associated proteins.

(5) Implementing sleep mechanisms in artificial neural networks.