Principal Investigator: Hua Tang, PhD
Professor
Division of Psychology
IDG / McGovern Institute for Brain Research
State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning
Beijing Normal University
Hua Tang is a Full Professor at the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University, and the founder of the public science outreach organization iBrainTalk (脑人言).
He leads the PCN Lab. His team investigates the neural circuit mechanisms underlying higher-level cognitive functions in macaques and humans. The lab integrates cutting-edge approaches, including multi-area large-scale electrophysiological recordings, optogenetic modulation, brain–computer interfaces, and computational modeling, to study how neural circuits support cognition. His work has been published in renowned journals, including Neuron, PNAS, Nature Communications, and Cell Reports.
Oct 2025 - Present: Principal Investigator, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University
July 2025 - Present: Professor, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University
Sep 2018 - June 2025: Postdoc Fellow & Research Fellow, working with Bruno Averbeck at NIMH.
Sep 2019 - Aug 2022: CCB Fellow, National Institutes of Health.
July 2018 - Sep 2018: Research Fellow, working with Christos Constantinidis at Wake Forest University.
July 2015 - February 2018: Visiting Ph.D. student, Neuroscience, Wake Forest University. Supervised by Christos Constantinidis.
September 2012 - June 2018: Ph.D., Neuroscience, Nanchang University, China. Supervised by Bao-ming Li(李葆明).
September 2008 - July 2012: B.S., Biology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
Postdocs
Graduate Students
Anan Ping (2023 PhD)
Anan is a joint Ph.D. candidate in the lab, majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience at Beijing Normal University. She earned her B.S. in Information and Computing Science from North China Electric Power University. Her research focuses on analyzing consciousness and cognitive functions across species using complex dynamic systems. Outside the lab, Anan enjoys sports, trying new activities, and exploring novel experiences.
Yuanpeng Jian (2026 PhD)
Yuanpeng is an incoming Ph.D. student in the lab. She will graduate from Capital Normal University in June 2026 with a master’s degree in Psychology. Before joining the lab, she conducted research in the Reward & Motivation Lab under the supervision of Dr. Ping Wei. Her research will investigate the neural circuit mechanisms underlying higher-level cognitive functions in humans, with a primary focus on executive functions and reinforcement learning.
Hai Gu (2026 PhD)
Hai is a joint Ph.D. student at the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University. He received his B.S. in Mathematics from Xiangtan University in 2023. After starting graduate studies in Computer Application Technology at the master's level, he transitioned into the Ph.D. program in Cognitive Neuroscience. His research interests include computational neuroscience and cognitive modeling, with a particular focus on human consciousness and the cognitive mechanisms underlying the explore–exploit trade-off.
Diya Yang (2026 PhD)
Diya is an incoming PhD student in the lab. She is expected to graduate from the Psychology Program at Yangzhou University in June 2026 and will officially join the lab later in September. Her research will focus on the neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive functions, using rhesus monkeys as the primary model. Outside the lab, she enjoys mountain climbing, sunbathing, writing fiction, and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.
Diancun Xuan (2026 Master)
Diancun is an incoming Master’s student in the lab. He will graduate from Peking University in July 2026 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Computer Science. At PKU, he conducted a cognitive modeling study under the supervision of Professor Hang Zhang. He is now interested in neural dynamics during complex task learning, particularly how abstract concepts and rules are acquired and encoded—processes that form the basis of higher-level intelligence. Outside of academia, he enjoys tinkering with PC hardware, biking, and playing table tennis.
Visiting Graduate Students
Yifei Tan (Beijing Institute of Technology)
Yifei Tan is a Ph.D. student in Neurobiology at Beijing Institute of Technology. He graduated from Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences in 2026 with a master’s degree in Biology, where he investigated non-invasive interventions for anxiety, depression, and cognition in rodents. He is receiving computational training in Tang’s lab. Outside the lab, Yifei enjoys reading, cooking, and exploring new cuisines with friends.
Undergraduate Research Assistants