Sangyu Xu (徐桑榆)

EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Systems Neuroscience 2016, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Thesis Supervisor: Susumu Tonegawa. Thesis Title: Control of intertemporal choice by dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons)

B.S. in Biology (Minor in Music), University of California, San Diego (Thesis Supervisor: Charles Zuker. Thesis Title: Developing a new strategy to map neural circuits in vivo.)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Senior Research Fellow, Adam Claridge-Chang Lab and Walter Hunziker Lab, 2021 – present

Research Fellow, Adam Claridge-Chang Lab, 2017 – 2021

Neuromodulatory circuits in foraging and feeding

Postdoctoral Associate, Susumu Tonegawa Lab, 2016-2017

Optogenetic dissection of dorsal raphe serotonergic circuits in intertemporal decision-making

Behavioral characterization of valence encoding in genetically defined basolateral amygdala neuronal populations (in collaboration with Joshua Kim and Michele Pignatelli)

Research Assistant, Philip Ingham Lab, 2007-2008

Research Assistant, Charles Zuker Lab, 2004-2007

PUBLICATIONS (Google Scholar)

Ott S, Xu S, Lee N, Hong I, Anns J, Suresh D, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Harion R, Ye W, Chandramouli V, Jesuthasan S, Saheki Y, Claridge-Chang A. (2024). Kalium channelrhodopsins effectively inhibit neurons. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47203-w.

Bari A, Xu S, Pignatelli M, Takeuchi D, Feng J, Li Y and Tonegawa S. (2020). Differential attentional control mechanisms by two distinct noradrenergic coeruleo-frontal cortical pathways. PNAS. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2015635117.

Xu S*, Das G, Hueske E and Tonegawa S* (2017). Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons Control Intertemporal Choice under Trade-off. Current Biology  (*corresponding authors).doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.008.

Kim J, Pignatelli M, Xu S, Itohara S and Tonegawa S (2016). Antagonistic Negative and Positive Neurons of the Basolateral Amygdala. Nature Neuroscience. doi: 10.1038/nn.4414.

PRESENTATIONS

A Feeding Ethome in Drosophila Reveals Trh Neurons Regulate Satiety (invited talk), APDNC3, RIKEN, Wako City, Saitama, Japan, 2024

Differential regulation of feeding and locomotion by 5-HT neurons in Drosophila melanogaster, Cell Symposia Neurometabolism, 2019

Control of Intertemporal Choice by Dorsal Raphe Serotonergic Neurons, Advances and Concergences in 5-HT Research (invited talk), CoSyNe, Lisbon, Portugal, 2019

Espresso: A Novel Feeding Assay for Drosophila, Neurofly (poster), Krakow, 2018

The Role of Serotonin Projections in VTA in Temporal Discounting of Reward, Motivational Circuits in Natural and Learned Behaviors Meeting (poster), HHMI Janelia Research Campus, 2015

MEDIA COVERAGE

Duke-NUS researchers develop light-controlled ‘switch’ for brain cells to better study the brain. The Straits Times (July 15, 2024).

Two Distinct Ways the Brain Stays Focused and Curbs Impulses. Psychology Today (November 6, 2020).

A delicate balance between positive and negative emotion. MIT Press (October 17, 2016).

TEACHING

GMS6812 Modern Data Analysis for Biomedical Research (Teaching Assistant), Duke-NUS, Feb 2023

Evidence Session: Modern Data Analysis for Biomedical Research (Teaching Assistant), Duke-NUS, Oct 2022

YSC4229 Molecular Neuroscience – Genes, Brains, and Behaviour (Guest Lecturer), Yale-NUS, March 2023

GMS6812 Modern Data Analysis for Biomedical Research (Teaching Assistant), Duke-NUS, Feb 2022

Evidence Session: Modern Data Analysis for Biomedical Research (Teaching Assistant), Duke-NUS, Oct 2021

YSC4229 Molecular Neuroscience – Genes, Brains, and Behaviour (Guest Lecturer), Yale-NUS, March 2021

9.013 Molecular and Cellular Neurosciece II (Graduate), MIT, Spring 2011

9.301 Neural Plasticity in Learning and Memory (Graduate), MIT, Spring 2010

9.150 Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Synaptic Transmission (Undergraduate), MIT, Fall 2009

Funding

Young Individual Research Grant, National Medical Research Council, Singapore, 2021 – 2025

National Science Scholarship, A*STAR, Singapore, 2004 – 2013

Service

Society for Neuroscience, Singapore Chapter (Treasurer), Singapore, 2021 – 2024

Society for Neuroscience, Singapore Chapter (Director of Membership), Singapore, 2018 – 2020

HONORS AND AWARDS

Outstanding Short Talk Award, Neuroscience Singapore 2025, Singapore, 2025

Walle Nauta Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, MIT, 2011

Provost’s Honor, Thurgood Marshall College, UCSD, 2004-2007

Honorable Mention, Singapore Physics Olympiad, Singapore, 2002

Gold, 17th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music, Prague, Czech Republic, 2007