Jie received her Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Duke University in 2016, where she worked in the lab of Dr. Ryohei Yasuda. Following her doctoral studies, she completed her postdoctoral training in the lab of Dr. Thomas Südhof at Stanford University. In 2025, Jie joined the Division of Life Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as an Assistant Professor.
Our research focuses on understanding the physiological functions and molecular mechanisms of cell surface receptors in the nervous system, particularly the receptor-ligand interactions between glial cells and neurons. Our goal is to uncover how these interactions regulate neural development, plasticity, and function, with implications for treating neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
We will employ a diverse range of techniques to study the receptors and their ligands at the neuron-glia interface. Our research will encompass ligand identification and validation, structural-functional characterization, and mechanistic investigation. Specifically, the techniques will include proteomics, CRISPR screening, neuronal cultures derived from human embryonic stem cells, transgenic mouse models, imaging, electrophysiology, receptor signaling, and transcriptomics.
