Email

guangyao.zhang@bcm.edu

Positions

Research Assistant I

Pediatrics - Neurology NRI
Baylor College of Medicine

Addresses

Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Office)

1250 Moursund St.
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Lab)

1250 Moursund St.
Houston, TX 77030
United States

Education

MHSc from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

06/2025 - Beijing

Mental disorder, Instinctive behavior

MHSc from Peking University Health Science Center

06/2025 - Beijing

Mental disorder, Instinctive behavior

BS from Central China Normal University

06/2022 - Wuhan

Professional Statement

I am a research assistant in Prof. Yang’s lab. My research focuses on how the brain organizes instinctive behaviors and emotional responses, and how dysfunctions in these fundamental systems lead to mental disorders. Instinctive behaviors—such as feeding, aggression, and defensive reactions—represent conserved survival strategies through which internal states and external cues are integrated into adaptive actions.

By combining approaches from systems neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral analysis, I aim to uncover the neural circuits and molecular pathways that control these innate behaviors and emotional processes. I am particularly interested in how environmental and physiological factors—such as light exposure and sleep—modulate mood, motivation, and stress resilience.

Ultimately, my goal is to bridge the study of instinctive behavior with the pathophysiology of mental disorders. Understanding how the brain transforms basic drives into complex emotions may provide new insights into maintaining mental balance and developing potential therapeutic strategies for psychiatric diseases.