Yun Zhang
Assistant Professor of Biology
Phone: 617-495-1107
E-mail:
Office: 2007 Biolabs , 16 Divinity Ave
Lab Website: http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/faculty/zhang
Animals in their natural environment interact with different ecological cues and modify their behaviors based on their experiences. A central goal of neurobiology is to understand the function of neural circuits that regulate these dynamic behaviors. Our research focuses on olfactory learning and chemical signaling among different species, and we employ the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a genetic and genomic model system to address these questions.
Recent Publications
Pradel E*, Zhang Y*, Pujol N, Matsuyama T, Bargmann CI & Ewbank, JJ (2007). Detection and avoidance of a natural product from the pathogenic bacterium Serratia marcescens by Caenorhabditis elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104: 2295-2300.
*Equal contribution
Zhang Y, Lu H & Bargmann CI (2005). Pathogenic bacteria induce aversive olfactory learning in C. elegans. Nature 438: 179-184.
Zhang Y, Ma C, Delohery T, Nasipak B, Foat BC, Bounoutas A, Bussemaker HJ, Kim SK & Chalfie M (2002). Identification of genes expressed in C. elegans touch receptor neurons. Nature 418: 331-335.
Zhang Y & Chalfie M (2002). MTD-1, a touch-cell-specific membrane protein with a subtle effect on touch sensitivity. Mechanisms of Development 119: 3-7.
Courses Taught
Neurobiology 95a: Can We Learn About How We Learn? Neurogenetics in Learning and Memory
OEB 223: Topics in Neurogenetics
OEB 369: Molecular Genetics of Neuroscience
