Jing Ren

Jing Ren is a Research Professor and Group Leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, UK, where they investigate the developmental assembly of the serotonin system—a neural network originating from only 1/100,000 CNS neurons yet innervating nearly every brain region. Their work explores how this system modulates diverse behaviors and psychiatric disorders through anatomically defined subsystems.

Research focuses on deciphering molecular guidance mechanisms in serotonin neural circuit formation during development, particularly in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Key interests include identifying how disruptions in developmental programs contribute to depression and anxiety, using mouse models to map subsystem-specific connectivity to behavioral outcomes. This bridges neurodevelopment with psychiatric pathology to uncover novel therapeutic targets.

Recent publications emphasize advanced methodologies: single-cell transcriptomics reveals serotonin neuron heterogeneity, while whole-brain mapping and deep learning (e.g., D-LMBmap) enable comprehensive circuit profiling. Work spans molecular neuroscience, systems-level connectivity, and behavioral phenotyping, highlighting serotonin subsystems' specialized roles in mood regulation.

Dr. Ren mentors a research team including Annabel Adams, Chui Kuen (Zora) Chan, Jingwen Liang, Cheng Qi, and Kenneth Wu. Their laboratory combines genetic, imaging, and computational tools to dissect serotonin circuit development, with implications for understanding mental health disorders at a mechanistic level.