Ye Emily Wu

Ye Emily Wu, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She leads an integrative research program combining molecular, circuit, and computational neuroscience to understand affiliative social behavior and its disruption in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Education:

• Ph.D. from Stanford University
• Postdoctoral training at University of California, Los Angeles

Research Interests:
Dr. Wu's research focuses on elucidating the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms that govern social behavior. Her work spans genetics, bioinformatics, behavioral neuroscience, and computational modeling. She investigates how disruptions in these systems contribute to social deficits in autism and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Her recent work emphasizes the use of single-cell transcriptomics, calcium imaging, and behavioral paradigms to map brain activity to specific cell populations and understand prosocial behavior.

Her research integrates cutting-edge techniques such as in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, and machine learning to dissect the neural circuits underlying empathy, parenting, and affiliative touch. This multidisciplinary approach allows her to bridge molecular insights with behavioral outcomes.

Scientific Awards:
No specific awards are listed in the provided text.

Advising and Grants:
While no specific students or grants are listed, her research program is clearly supported by active funding and includes mentoring roles within UCLA’s neuroscience community.

Labs and Teams:
Dr. Wu leads a research group at UCLA that collaborates across departments and uses advanced technologies to study neural circuits and social behavior. Her lab is affiliated with both the Department of Neurobiology and the Department of Biological Chemistry, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise.