Weizhe Hong

Weizhe Hong is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), leading the Social Neuroscience Laboratory. His research focuses on uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying empathy, compassion, and prosocial behavior in both biological systems (e.g., mice) and artificial intelligence frameworks.

His work explores a multi-brain framework for social interaction, neural dynamics during social challenges, and the role of cortical and amygdalar circuits in regulating helping behaviors. By integrating genetic, computational, and behavioral methodologies, his lab has demonstrated empathy-related behaviors in mice and identified specific neural pathways involved in social decision-making.

The research output spans diverse subfields including empathy, neural circuits, prosocial behavior, social dynamics, computational modeling, and behavioral neuroscience. His publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches bridging molecular biology with AI systems.

Current projects investigate inter-brain communication, stress buffering mechanisms, and the evolution of social behaviors. The lab actively recruits postdocs and graduate students for cutting-edge neuroscience research.