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Professor Profile |
Degree / Stage |
Period |
Institution |
Field of Study |
|
Neurobiology (School of Life Sciences) |
Ph.D. |
2017 – 2022 |
University of Science and Technology of China |
Neurobiology |
|
|
B.S. |
2013 – 2017 |
Northeast Forestry University |
Biotechnology |
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Management Science (School of Management) |
Post-doctor |
2011 – 2013 |
Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, CAS |
Operational Research |
|
|
Ph.D. |
2006 – 2011 |
Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, CAS |
Operational Research |
|
|
B.S. |
2002 – 2006 |
University of Science and Technology of China |
Mathematics & Applied Mathematics |
Professor Peng Cao is a prominent neurobiologist at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), currently serving as a Special Appointed Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics. He earned his Ph.D. in Neurobiology from USTC in 2022, following a biotechnology degree from Northeast Forestry University.
His research focuses on the neural mechanisms of pain and negative emotional states, such as anxiety and depression. He specifically investigates how microglial cells and specific brain circuits, such as the thalamocortical and gut-brain axes, regulate chronic pain and behavioral transitions. His work has been published in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Neuron, and Science Advances. Notable recent discoveries include identifying a "tongue-brain connection" that promotes arousal and a circuit mediating morphine-induced constipation. As a rising figure in Chinese neuroscience, he leads investigations into how the brain coordinates complex prosocial behaviors and physiological responses to stress.
Chronic Pain & Allodynia: Investigating how injury or depression-like states trigger "allodynia" (pain from non-painful stimuli) through specific thalamocortical circuits.
Comorbid Anxiety: Studying how acute and chronic pain lead to anxiety-like behaviors, particularly through the regulation of neuronal spine engulfment by microglial cells in the zona incerta.
Emotional Regulation: Identifying circuits from the ventral subiculum to the hypothalamus that are essential for anxiety-induced behavioral avoidance.
Microglial Plasticity: Extensive focus on how microglia "prune" or engulf synapses in response to stress or inflammation, leading to long-term changes in brain function and behavior.
Sex-Dependent Responses: Investigating why certain pain hypersensitivities and neural responses differ significantly between males and females.
Toxin Defense: Mapping how the brain detects ingested toxins and coordinates defensive responses like nausea and retching via the gut-to-brain axis.
Opioid Side Effects: Recent 2026 research has identified a brain-to-small intestine circuit that specifically mediates morphine-induced constipation in males.
Circuit Discovery: He specializes in deconstructing complex behavioral circuits. Notable 2025–2026 work includes identifying the "tongue-brain connection" (Science Advances) and a specific brain-to-small intestine circuit that mediates morphine-induced constipation in males (Nature Communications).
Project Leadership: He currently leads multiple high-level research initiatives, including projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents, focusing on neuropathic pain and depression.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Much of his work involves "Scientific Activities" like viral tracing and optogenetics to study sex-dependent pain hypersensitivity and the role of microglial cells in anxiety
Academic Honors: He is a recipient of the President’s Special Award of the CAS and the Young Scientist Award of the Yangtze River Delta Neuroscience, reflecting his standing as a top-tier young investigator.
A brain-to-small intestine circuit mediates morphine-induced constipation in male mice
The gut-to-brain axis for toxin-induced defensive responses.
Neural mechanisms underlying orofacial prosocial behavior in rodents
Rescue-like behavior in a bystander mouse toward anesthetized conspecifics promotes arousal via a tongue-brain connection.
IGF1-dependent synaptic plasticity of mitral cells in olfactory memory during social learning.