School of Biomedical Sciences
生物醫學學院
The Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大學

Prof KE Ya


KE YaProfessor

B.Med., Ph.D.

Telephone:  3943 6780

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Address:

 305A, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Sciences Building, Area 39, CUHK

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8166-6653

 

 

 

Biography

Prof. KE Ya (柯亞) is currently Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She studied medicine and received postgraduate training in biomedical sciences research. She is interested in the neurobiological basis, especially neural circuit mechanisms, underlying brain functions and behaviors, and their aberrations in brain disorders such as neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. She has published in international journals including Lancet Neurology, Neuron, JAMA Neurology, PNAS, Nature Communications, Current Biology, Science Advances, and eLife. Her current research focus is on higher cognitive functions, emotions, and social behaviours. To meet these challenges, a multi-disciplinary approach is adopted, employing novel behavioral paradigms, virus-based circuit mapping, opto/chemo-genetics, electrophysiological recordings, advanced brain imaging techniques such as multi-photon microscopy, miniscope imaging, machine learning, and molecular biology. She is in the council of the Hong Kong Society of Neurosciences and also contributes to the promotion of neuroscience research and education beyond Hong Kong by serving as a member of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)-Asian Pacific Regional Committee.

  1. Neural circuit basis of emotions and social behaviors. Identification of key brain areas and circuits that underlie the emergence of different emotions and social behaviors.
  2. Brain mechanisms of higher cognitive functions. Elucidation of the neural circuits and network mechanisms that underpin higher cognitive functions like strategy switching, multi-tasking ability and associative memory.
  3. Pathogenesis and treatments of neurodegenerative diseases. Explorations of the etiology, pathogenesis and novel therapeutic strategies of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
  1. Cao, Z.P., Yung, W.H., & Ke, Y.*(2024) Repeated activation of preoptic area-recipient neurons in posterior paraventricular nucleus mediates chronic heat-induced negative emotional valence and hyperarousal state. eLife (In press).
  2. Liang, T., Peng, R.C., Rong, K.L., Li, J.X., Ke, Y.* & Yung, W.H. (2024). Disparate processing of numerosity and associated continuous magnitudes in rats. Science Advances, 10 (8), eadj2566.
  3. Cao, Z.P.,Yung, W.H., Ke, Y.*(2024). Distinct populations of lateral preoptic nucleus neurons jointly contribute to depressive-like behaviors through divergent projections in male mice. Neurobiology of Stress, 13:32:100667.
  4. Lam, Y.S., Li, J.X., Ke, Y.*, Yung, W.H.(2022). Variational dimensions of cingulate cortex functional connectivity and implications in neuropsychiatric disorders. Cerebral Cortex, 32(24): 5682-5697.
  5. Qiao, J.D., Yang, S.X., Geng, H.Y., Yung, W.H. & Ke, Y.*(2022). Input-timing dependent plasticity at incoming synapses of mushroom body facilitates olfactory learning in drosophila. Current Biology, 32(22):4869-4880.e4.
  6. Geng, H.Y., Arbuthnott, G., Yung, W.H. & Ke, Y.* (2021). Long-range monosynaptic inputs targeting apical and basal dendrites of primary motor cortex deep output neurons. Cerebral Cortex, 32(18), 3975-3989.
  7. Mu, M.D., Geng, H.Y., Rong, K.L., Peng, R.C., Wang, S.T., Geng, L.T., Qian, Z.M., Yung, W.H., & Ke, Y.* (2020). A limbic circuitry involved in emotional stress-induced grooming. Nature Communications, 11(1), 2261(Editorial highlight).
  8. Mu, M.D., Yang, S.X., Rong, K.L., Qian, Z.M., Yung, W.H. & Ke, Y.* (2020). ). A histone demethylase inhibitor exhibits cell-specific iron suppression and neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease model. Cell Death & Diseases, 11(10):927.
  9. Qian, Z.M. & Ke, Y.* (2019). Hepcidin and its therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative disorders. Medicinal Research Reviews, 94(5):1672-1684.
  10. Cui, Q.L., Li, Q., Geng, H.Y., Chen, L., Ip, N.Y., Ke, Y.* & Yung, W.H. (2018). Dopamine receptors mediate strategy abandoning via modulation of a specific prelimbic cortex-nucleus accumbens pathway in mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA. 115(21):E4890-E4899.
  11. Wu, X.M., Qian, C., Zhou, Y.F., Yan, Y.C., Luo, Q.Q., Yung, W.H., Zhang, F.L., Jiang, L.R., Qian, Z.M., & Ke, Y.* (2017). Bi-directionally protective communication between neurons and astrocytes under ischemia. Redox Biology, 20(13), 20-31.
  12. Lu, L.N., Qian, Z.M., Wu, K.C., Yung, W.H., & Ke, Y.*. (2017). Expression of iron transporters and pathological hallmarks of parkinson's and alzheimer's diseases in the brain of young, adult, and aged rats. Molecular Neurobiology, 54(7), 5213-5224.
  13. Li, Q., Ko, H., Qian, Z.M., Yan, L.Y.C., Chan, D.C.W., Arbuthnott, G., Ke, Y.*, & Yung, W.H.(2017). Refinement of learned skilled movement representation in motor cortex deep output layer. Nature Communications, 8, 15834.
  14. Gong, J., Du, F., Qian, Z.M., Luo, Q.Q., Sheng, Y., Yung, W.H., Xu, Y.X., & Ke, Y.* (2016). Pre-treatment of rats with ad-hepcidin prevents iron-induced oxidative stress in the brain. Free Radical Biology Medcine, 90, 126-32.
  15. Huang, X.T., Qian, Z.M., He, X., Gong, Q., Wu, K.C., Jiang, L.R., Lu, L.N., Zhu, Z.J., Zhang, H.Y., Yung, W.H., & Ke, Y.* (2014). Reducing iron in the brain: a novel pharmacological mechanism of Huperzine A in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiology of Aging, 35(5), 1045-54.
  16. Li, Q., Qian, Z.M., Arbuthnott, G.W., Ke, Y.*, & Yung, W.H. (2013). Cortical Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation: Implications for Pathogenesis and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease. JAMA Neurology, 71, 100-103 (Editorial highlight).
  17. Li, Q., Ke, Y.*, Chan, D.C.W., Qian, Z.M., Yung, K.K.L., Ko, H., Arbuthnott, G.W., & Yung, W.H. (2012). Therapeutic deep brain stimulation in parkinsonian rats directly influences motor cortex. Neuron, 76, 1030-1041.
  18. Du, F, Qian, Q., Qian, Z.M., Wu, X.M., Xie, H., Yung, W.H., & Ke, Y.* (2011). Hepcidin directly inhibits transferrin receptor 1 expression in astrocytes via a cyclic AMP-protein kinase a pathway. GLIA, 59(6), 936-45.
  19. Zhao, L., Qian, Z.M., Zhang, C., Yung, W.H., Du, F., & Ke, Y.* (2008). Amyloid beta-peptide 31-35-induced neuronal apoptosis is mediated by caspase-dependent pathways via cAMP-dependent protein kinase A activation. Aging Cell, 7(1), 47-57.
  20. Ke, Y., & Qian, Z.M. (2003). Iron misregulation in the brain: a primary cause of neurodegenerative disorders. Lancet Neurology, 2(4), 246-253.

    *  Corresponding / Co-corresponding author
  1. RGC - General Research Fund [PI; 01-Jan-2025 to 31-Dec-2027]: " Functional roles of cortical interneurons in multi-tasking” (HK$1,600,000).
  2. RGC - General Research Fund [PI; 01-Jan-2024 to 31-Dec-2026]: " A limbic circuitry contributing to fat appetite and craving behavior” (HK$1,600,000).
  3. RGC- Collaborative Research Fund [co-PI; 15-Jun-2023 to 14-Jun-2026]: " Mechanism of Cognitive Flexibility: from Core Brain Areas to Network Analysis” (HK$$6,580,000).
  4. RGC - General Research Fund [PI; 01-Jan-2023 to 31-Dec-2025]: "Functional contribution of a corticonigral projection to adaptive motor control” (HK$1,180,218).
  5. RGC - General Research Fund [PI; 01-Jan-2022 to 31-Dec-2024]: "Neurobiological basis of cognitive-motor dual-tasking" (HK$1,175,732).
  6. Health and Medical Research Fund [PI; 15-Sep2020 to 14-Sep-2023]: "Early intervention in preventing strategy-switching impairment in Alzheimer’s disease animal model" (HK$1,499,420).