Several psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders and depression, have shown strong relationships with sleep disturbance and abnormal fear emotion. Emerging evidence suggests that sleep problems are not only a secondary symptom of psychiatric disorders but represent a predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factor in their development. However, there remains a lack of research about uncovering causality or correlation with these behavioral phenotypes and unravelling the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Our lab focuses on understanding the interaction of the neural circuits and peripheral systems underlying the relationship between sleep and innate fear in physiological and pathological conditions. We combine advanced experimental and analytical tools, enabling measurements of complex high-dimensional behavioural data and physiological parameters in a laboratory setting and accurate inference of defensive behaviours at the organismal level.

Education

2012-2017, PhD, Humboldt University of Berlin/MDC-Berlin, Germany

2008-2010, Master in Molecular Medicine, Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

2004-2008, Bachelor in Life Science, Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan

Working Experience

2025-present, Principal Investigator, BCBDI, SIAT-CAS

2026-2023-2024, Associate Investigator, BCBDI, SIAT-CAS

2018-2022, Assistant Investigator, BCBDI, SIAT-CAS

2018-2018, Postdoctoral Fellow, MDC-Berlin, Germany

1. Bo Y,Tseng YT^*,Su G, Zhao B, Liang L, Wang L^*, Zhou X^*. The paraventricular thalamic nucleus is involved in sleep-fragmentation-associated cardiac dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction.Sleep Medicine 2025.*Corresponding authors

2. Schaefke B^*, Li J, Zhao B, Wang L^*,Tseng YT^*. Slumber under pressure: REM sleep and stress response.Prog Neurobiol.2025. *Corresponding authors

3. Zhao B, Liang L, Li J, Schaefke B^*, Wang L^*,Tseng YT^*. An escape-enhancing circuit involving subthalamic CRH neurons mediates stress-induced anhedonia in mice.Neurobiol. Dis.,2024. *Corresponding authors

4. Song H, Qiu S, Zhao B, Liu X^*,Tseng YT^*,Wang L^*. A machine learning approach for behavioral recognition of stress levels in mice.Neurosci Bull .2024. *Corresponding authors

5. Wang L,Tseng YT,Schaefke B, Wei P, He S. Reply to“Fear, anxiety, and the functional architecture of the human central extended amygdala.Nat. Rev. Neurosci.2024

6.Tseng YT,Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L^*. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body.Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2023

7.Tseng YT^*,Zhao B, Ding H, Liang L, Schaefke B, Wang L^*. Systematic evaluation of a predator stress model of depression in mice using a hierarchical 3D-motion learning framework.Translational Psychiatry2023 *Corresponding authors

8.Tseng YT,Zhao B, Chen S, Ye J, Liu J, Liang L, Ding H, Schaefke B, Yang Q, Wang L, Wang F, Wang L^*. The subthalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons mediate adaptive REM-sleep responses to threat.Neuron2022 (Cover story; highlighted by Nature Reviews Neuroscience)

9.Tseng YT,Liang L, Zhao B, Ye J, Wang L^*. Connectivity Map of Subthalamic Corticotropin-releasing Hormone Neurons in the Mouse Brain.Neurosci Bull .2022

10. Liu X, Feng X, Huang H, Huang K, Xu Y, Ye S, Tseng YT, Wei P, Wang L, Wang F^*. Male and female mice display consistent lifelong ability to address potential life-threatening cues using different post-threat coping strategies.BMC Biol.2022

11. Chen S, Tan H, Wang Z, Tseng YT, Li X, Wang L^*. Formation of the Looming-evoked Innate Defensive Response during Postnatal Development in Mice.Neurosci Bull.2022

12.Tseng YT,Zhao B, Liu J, Ding H, Wang F, Wang L*. Sleep deprivation and adrenalectomy lead to enhanced innate escape response to visual looming stimuli.Biochem Biophys Res Commun.2020

13. Quarta C, Fisette A, Xu Y, Colldén G, Legutko B,Tseng YT,Reim A, Wierer M, De Rosa MC, Klaus V, Rausch R, Thaker VV, Graf E, Strom TM, Poher AL, Gruber T, Le Thuc O, Cebrian-Serrano A, Kabra D, Bellocchio L, Woods SC, Pflugfelder GO, Nogueiras R, Zeltser L, Grunwald Kadow IC, Moon A, García-Cáceres C, Mann M, Treier M, Doege CA, Tschöp MH*. Functional identity of hypothalamic melanocortin neurons depends on Tbx3.Nat Metab.2019