
Jianhua 'JC' Cang
Education
- B.S., Peking (Beijing) University, 1996
- Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2001
- Postdoctoral, University of California San Diego, 2001-2002
- Postdoctoral, University of California San Francisco, 2003-2006
Research Interests
Research Description: The overall goal of our research is to study the organization, function and development of the mammalian visual system. With an integrative approach that combines physiology, imaging, genetics, molecular, behavioral, and computational methods, our research is mainly along two directions. First, we made a paradigm-shifting discovery regarding how sensory experience shapes visual functions in the cortex during a critical period in early life. Second, we have carried out a series of functional studies of the mouse superior colliculus, helping to establish it as a new model for studying visual information processing and sensorimotor transformation. We are now continuing both lines of research in mice by performing mechanistic studies of critical period plasticity in the cortex and visual transformation and development in the superior colliculus. For more information, please visit my website.
Representative Publications
- Shi, X., Barchini, J., Acaron, Ledesma H., Koren, D., Jin, Y., Liu, X., Wei, W., Cang, J. (2017). Retinal origin of direction selectivity in the superior colliculus. Nat Neurosci. Published online Feb 13, 2017. doi: 10.1038/nn.4498 http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nn.4498.html
- Gu, Y. and Cang, J. (2016). Binocular matching of thalamocortical and intracortical circuits in the mouse visual cortex. Elife. 2016 Dec 29;5. pii: e22032. doi: 10.7554/eLife.22032. https://elifesciences.org/content/5/e22032
- Wang, L., Liu, M., Segraves, M.A., and Cang, J. (2015). Visual Experience Is required for the development of eye movement maps in the mouse superior colliculus. J Neurosci. 35(35):12281-12286. http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/35/12281.full
- Inayat, S., Barchini, J., Chen, H., Feng, L., Liu, X., Cang, J. (2015). Neurons in the Most Superficial Lamina of the Mouse Superior Colliculus Are Highly Selective for Stimulus Direction. J Neurosci. 35(20): 7992-8003. http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/20/7992.full
- Zhao, X., Liu, M., and Cang, J. (2014). Visual Cortex Modulates the Magnitude but Not the Selectivity of Looming-Evoked Responses in the Superior Colliculus of Awake Mice. Neuron. 84(1):202-13. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.08.037. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627314007387
- Wang, B-S., Feng, L., Liu, M., Liu, X., and Cang, J. (2013). Environmental Enrichment Rescues Binocular Matching of Orientation Preference in Mice that Have a Precocious Critical Period. Neuron, 80(1):198-209. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627313006478