Junheng Li

Project title: Investigation of the falling asleep brain dynamics and its closed-loop augmentation strategy
Supervisor: Dr Nir Grossman
Location: Level 5, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, W12 0NN

About Me

I am a CSC (China Scholarship Council) fully-funded PhD student in the Grossman lab in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London. I graduated from Xidian University in 2017, and then received an MSc with distinction from Imperial in 2018, specialising in engineering and signal processing. Now, I am very eagerly applying my engineering expertise into the neuroscience research, looking to better understand brain signals and machine learning techniques.

Publications

Vinao-Carl ML, Gal-Shohet YR, Rhodes E, Li J, Hampshire A, Sharp DJ, Grossman N. Just a phase? Causal probing reveals spurious phasic dependence of sensory perception. bioRxiv. 2023:2023-08 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.21.554096v1

Schreglmann S, Wang D, Peach R, Li J, Zhang X, Latorre A, Rhodes E, Panella E, Boyden E, Barahona M, Santaniello S, Bhatia K, Rothwell J, Grossman N, 2020, Non-invasive amelioration of essential tremor via phase-locked disruption of its temporal coherence, Nature Communications, Vol: 12, ISSN: 2041-1723 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20581-7

Qualifications

2014-2017: BEng. in Telecommunications Engineering, Xidian University
2017-2018: MSc in Communications and Signal Processing (Distinction), Imperial College London

Research Interests

My PhD focuses on using novel feature-based signal processing technique combined with machine learning to better understand brain signals and exploring mechanisms. Specifically, we are trying to use neuro-modulation techniques to intervene brain activities and facilitate restorative sleep in dementia patients. Novel feature-based analysis approach will be implemented in such brain activity analysis (normally spatio-temporal EEG), and machine learning algorithms are used to find out mechanisms in neuro-intervention, which in turn directs us to optimise the stimulation for better outcomes.

Conferences

Presentation in ECR day at Connectome 2021: "The brain dynamics during falling asleep"
Poster presentation at Computational Neuroscience Society (CNS) conference 2023

Contact details

Email: junheng.li17@imperial.ac.uk

How temperature and circadian rhythms intersect to regulate a protein shown to protect against neurodegeneration

A new study led by Dr Marco Brancaccio (UK DRI at Imperial) and Dr Marieke Hoekstra (former UK DRI at Imperial, now VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research) offers a deeper insight into how a neuroprotective pathway is regulated both by temperature and the body clock. This research, published in the journal PNAS, could open up new therapeutic avenues for neurodegenerative disease. Read more on the UK DRI website

Introducing Cynthia Sandor: Pioneering earlier detection of Parkinson’s

Dr Cynthia Sandor, former Emerging Leader at the UK DRI at Cardiff, joins the UK DRI at Imperial as a Group Leader, where she will be tackling early diagnosis of Parkinson’s.

With a background in genetics, Dr Sandor uses computational methods to bring greater understanding to the underlying molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s. Read more about Cynthia's work on the UK DRI website.

Ageing brain fails to control neuronal activity with consequences for cognition

Age-linked cognitive decline findings from our UK DRI Centre

Ageing brain fails to control neuronal activity with consequences for cognition, according to a study led by Dr Sam Barnes and Dr Carola Radulescu. Read more on the UK DRI website.

Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer’s rates in Europe

Groundbreaking study of ancient genes provides brand new biological understanding of debilitating disorders

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank by analysing the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 humans who lived across western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago. By sequencing ancient human DNA and comparing it to modern-day samples, the international team of experts mapped the historical spread of genes – and diseases – over time as populations migrated.

Read more on the University of Cambridge website.

Health Minister visits White City to see pioneering dementia research

The Minister for Health and Secondary Care Andrew Stephenson MP visited the UK Dementia Research Institute at White City.

The new Minister for Health and Secondary Care Andrew Stephenson MP visited Imperial's White City Campus yesterday to see the work of the UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre based at the Sir Michael Uren Hub. The Minister was hosted by Professor Deborah Ashby, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute. Read more on the Imperial news website.

New non-invasive form of deep brain stimulation could provide alternative treatment for brain diseases

Cutting-edge work led by Imperial PI Dr Nir Grossman makes national press

Scientists from the UK Dementia Research Institute centre at Imperial College London featured on ITV News and in national newspapers. Read more on the Imperial website and the UK DRI website.

Imperial named UK’s best university

Imperial College London is ranked top of a new league table of UK universities.

Imperial has also been named University of the Year in the league table, published by the Daily Mail, and is praised for its "sustained excellence in all areas” alongside its commitment to social inclusion, including generous bursary support.

Read full article.

The UK Dementia Research Institute is a joint £290 million investment from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.