About me
As a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Kerschensteiner Lab, I am deeply engaged in unraveling the complexities of neuronal computation and architecture within the brain. My research is driven by a profound curiosity to understand the ‘why’ behind the ways our brain processes information. Leveraging a diverse array of machine learning tools, I study how the mouse and human retina respond to natural movies, and how these responses influence visually-guided behavior. My research recent focuses on designing new neural network architectures to overcome the limitations of molecular techniques (e.g., optogenetics, chemogenetics) used in neuroscience. One project develops a more universal adaptation for predicting neural activity. Instead of solely learning the stimulus-spike relationship of recorded neurons, my model generalizes properties such as cell types and receptive field locations, enabling it to predict spikes for unseen neurons across different locations and individuals. Another project involves building a hybrid model to examine how neuronal organization (e.g., cell types, receptive field properties, mosaic structures) influences behavioral outcomes, such as prey capture and predator avoidance.
My academic journey was significantly enriched by my tenure as a McDonnell International Scholar in the Neuroscience PhD Program at Washington University in St. Louis. During my time in the Kerschensteiner Lab, I honed my expertise in two-photon calcium imaging, multi-electrode array recordings, and computational modeling, all aimed at decoding visual processing in the retinas of mice and humans.
Prior to my doctoral studies, I contributed to groundbreaking research as a Visiting Scholar in the Parvizi Lab at Stanford University. This followed a period as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University in Taiwan. I having earned a B.S.E. degree in Chemical Engineering from National Taiwan University.
On a personal note, I am happily married to Avah Banerjee, and we have a Chihuahua named Mickey. They are the center of my world.
Selected Publication
- JC Hsiang, N Shen, F Soto, D Kerschensteiner. Distributed feature representations of natural stimuli across parallel retinal pathways.
Nature Communications, 2024 paper - T Kim, N Shen, JC Hsiang, KP Johnson, D Kerschensteiner.
Dendritic and parallel processing of visual threats in the retina control defensive responses.
Science Advances, 2020 paper - F Soto, JC Hsiangco-first, R Rajagopal, K Piggott, GJ Harocopos, SM Couch, P Custer, JL Morgan, D Kerschensteiner.
Efficient Coding by Midget and Parasol Ganglion Cells in the Human Retina.
Neuron, 2020 paper PDF - A Vogrig, JC Hsiangco-first, J Ng, J Rolnick, J Cheng, J Parvizi.
A systematic study of stereotypy in epileptic seizures versus psychogenic seizure-like events.
Epilepsy & Behavior, 2019 paper - JC Hsiang, KP Johnson, L Madisen, H Zeng, D Kerschensteiner.
Local processing in neurites of VGluT3-expressing amacrine cells differentially organizes visual information.
eLife, 2017 paper - JM Shine, A Kucyi, BL Foster, S Bickel, D Wang, H Liu, RA Poldrack, LT Hsieh, JC Hsiang, J Parvizi.
Distinct patterns of temporal and directional connectivity among intrinsic networks in the human brain.
Journal of Neuroscience, 2017 paper
Contact
hsiang [at] wustl.edu