Rebecca Chung-Hui Yang | Scholars@Duke

Rebecca Chung-Hui Yang
Associate Professor of Neurobiology

Our lab is interested in understanding the neural basis of simple decision-making processes. We use Drosophila egg-laying site selection as our model system. To understand how the Drosophila brain assesses and ranks the values of egg-laying options, we use a combined approach that includes high-throughput optogenetics-based behavioral screen, automated (machine vision) behavioral tracking of single animals, molecular genetic tools to identify critical circuit components, and calcium imaging and anatomical tracing techniques to determine the physical and functional connectivity of identified circuit components.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2016

Contact Information

Box 3209, Durham, NC 27710
Bryan Research Building, 311 Research Drive Room 427E, Durham, NC 27710
rebecca.yang@gmail.com (919) 684-1494
Yang Lab

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Stanford University 2002
Duke Appointment History
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2009 - 2016
Research
Selected Grants
- Basic predoctoral training in neuroscience awarded by National Institutes of Health 1992 - 2018
- Genetic Dissection of an Avoidance Circuit in Drosophila awarded by National Institutes of Health 2012 - 2018
- Training in Fundamental &Translational Neuroscience awarded by National Institutes of Health 2005 - 2016
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Journal Articles
  - Hu, C, Petersen, M, Hoyer, N, Spitzweck, B, Tenedini, F, Wang, D, Gruschka, A, Burchardt, LS, Szpotowicz, E, Schweizer, M, Guntur, AR, Yang, C-H, and Soba, P. "Sensory integration and neuromodulatory feedback facilitate Drosophila mechanonociceptive behavior." Nature Neuroscience 20, no. 8 (August 2017): 1085-1095. Full Text
  - Kaneko, T, Macara, AM, Li, R, Hu, Y, Iwasaki, K, Dunnings, Z, Firestone, E, Horvatic, S, Guntur, A, Shafer, OT, Yang, C-H, Zhou, J, and Ye, B. "Serotonergic Modulation Enables Pathway-Specific Plasticity in a Developing Sensory Circuit in Drosophila." Neuron 95, no. 3 (August 2017): 623-638.e4. Full Text
  - Kaneko, T, Macara, AM, Li, R, Hu, Y, Iwasaki, K, Dunnings, Z, Firestone, E, Horvatic, S, Guntur, A, Shafer, OT, Yang, C-H, Zhou, J, and Ye, B. "Serotonergic Modulation Enables Pathway-Specific Plasticity in a Developing Sensory Circuit in Drosophila." Neuron 95, no. 3 (August 2017): 722-722. Full Text
  - Guntur, AR, Gou, B, Gu, P, He, R, Stern, U, Xiang, Y, and Yang, C-H. "H2O2-Sensitive Isoforms of Drosophila melanogaster TRPA1 Act in Bitter-Sensing Gustatory Neurons to Promote Avoidance of UV During Egg-Laying." Genetics 205, no. 2 (February 2017): 749-759. Full Text
  - Gou, B, Zhu, E, He, R, Stern, U, and Yang, C-H. "High Throughput Assay to Examine Egg-Laying Preferences of Individual Drosophila melanogaster." Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE , no. 109 (March 24, 2016): e53716-. Full Text
  - Guntur, AR, Gu, P, Takle, K, Chen, J, Xiang, Y, and Yang, C-H. "Drosophila TRPA1 isoforms detect UV light via photochemical production of H2O2." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112, no. 42 (October 6, 2015): E5753-E5761. Full Text
  - Stern, U, He, R, and Yang, C-H. "Analyzing animal behavior via classifying each video frame using convolutional neural networks." Scientific reports 5 (September 23, 2015): 14351-. Full Text
  - Stern, U, Zhu, EY, He, R, and Yang, C-H. "Long-duration animal tracking in difficult lighting conditions." Scientific reports 5 (July 2015): 10432-. Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Yang, C-H, He, R, and Stern, U. "Behavioral and circuit basis of sucrose rejection by Drosophila females in a simple decision-making task." The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience 35, no. 4 (January 2015): 1396-1410. Full Text
  - Zhu, EY, Guntur, AR, He, R, Stern, U, and Yang, C-H. "Egg-laying demand induces aversion of UV light in Drosophila females." Current Biology : Cb 24, no. 23 (December 2014): 2797-2804. Full Text
  - Gou, B, Liu, Y, Guntur, A, Stern, U, and Yang, C-H. "Mechanosensitive Neurons on the Internal Reproductive Tract Contribute to Egg-Laying-Induced Acetic Acid Attraction in Drosophila." Cell Reports 9, no. 2 (October 2014): 522-530. Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Liu, Y, and Yang, C-H. "Unveiling the secrets to her heart." Neuron 83, no. 1 (July 2014): 3-5. Full Text
  - Yuan, Q, Song, Y, Yang, C-H, Jan, LY, and Jan, YN. "Female contact modulates male aggression via a sexually dimorphic GABAergic circuit in Drosophila." Nature Neuroscience 17, no. 1 (2014): 81-88. Full Text
  - Zhao, X, Yang, C-H, and Simon, MA. "The Drosophila Cadherin Fat Regulates Tissue Size and Planar Cell Polarity through Different Domains." PLoS ONE 8, no. 5 (2013). Full Text
  - Yang, C-H, Rumpf, S, Xiang, Y, Gordon, MD, Song, W, Jan, LY, and Jan, Y-N. "Control of the postmating behavioral switch in Drosophila females by internal sensory neurons." Neuron 61, no. 4 (February 2009): 519-526. Full Text
  - Yang, C-H, Belawat, P, Hafen, E, Jan, LY, and Jan, Y-N. "Drosophila egg-laying site selection as a system to study simple decision-making processes." Science (New York, N.Y.) 319, no. 5870 (March 2008): 1679-1683. Full Text
  - Grueber, WB, Ye, B, Yang, C-H, Younger, S, Borden, K, Jan, LY, and Jan, Y-N. "Projections of Drosophila multidendritic neurons in the central nervous system: Links with peripheral dendrite morphology." Development 134, no. 1 (2007): 55-64. Full Text
  - Grueber, WB, Yang, C-H, Ye, B, and Jan, Y-N. "The development of neuronal morphology in insects." Current Biology 15, no. 17 (2005): R730-R738. Full Text
  - Ma, D, Yang, C-H, McNeill, H, Simon, MA, and Axelrod, JD. "Fidelity in planar cell polarity signalling." Nature 421, no. 6922 (January 19, 2003): 543-547. Full Text
  - Yang, C-H, Axelrod, JD, and Simon, MA. "Regulation of Frizzled by fat-like cadherins during planar polarity signaling in the Drosophila compound eye." Cell 108, no. 5 (March 2002): 675-688. Full Text
  - Yang, C-H, Simon, MA, and McNeill, H. "mirror controls planar polarity and equator formation through repression of fringe expression and through control of cell affinities." Development 126, no. 24 (1999): 5857-5866.
  - McNeill, H, Yang, C-H, Brodsky, M, Ungos, J, and Simon, MA. "Mirror encodes a novel PBX-class homeoprotein that functions in the definition of the dorsal-ventral border in the Drosophila eye." Genes and Development 11, no. 8 (1997): 1073-1082.
  - Wang, H, Yang, C-H, Lee, G, Chang, F, Wilson, H, Campillo-Campbell, AD, and Campbell, A. "Integration specificities of two lambdoid phages (21 and e14) that insert at the same attB site." Journal of Bacteriology 179, no. 18 (1997): 5705-5711.
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

Recent Courses