Dr Xiao-Jing Wang stands as a preeminent figure in theoretical and computational neuroscience with his pioneering contributions reshaping cognitive neuroscience globally. He currently serves as Distinguished Global Professor of Neural Science at New York University and Co-Director of the Swartz Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, positions reflecting his international leadership in the field. After completing his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the Free University of Brussels in 1987, he transitioned to the emerging discipline of computational neuroscience, establishing himself at Brandeis University and Yale University before joining NYU in 2012. His distinguished career includes significant leadership roles such as Founding Provost and Vice President for Research at NYU Shanghai from 2012 to 2017, and Director of the Swartz Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at Yale University.
Dr Wang's groundbreaking research has centered on the neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive functions, particularly working memory and decision-making processes in the prefrontal cortex, often termed the "Brain's CEO". His development of recurrent circuit models for the prefrontal cortex has provided fundamental insights into neural information processing, with his publications accumulating over 40,000 citations and an h-index of 98. He was instrumental in founding the nascent field of Computational Psychiatry, bridging theoretical neuroscience with clinical applications to understand mental illness mechanisms. More recently, his laboratory has pioneered connectome-based modeling of large-scale brain circuits to investigate whole-brain dynamics and distributed cognition, establishing novel theoretical frameworks that integrate neuroscience with artificial intelligence principles.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr Wang has profoundly influenced the neuroscience community through his leadership in establishing major research initiatives including co-founding the Gordon Research Conference on Neurobiology of Cognition and the Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience summer school at Cold Spring Harbor Asia. His dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists is evident through his direction of three Swartz Centers across leading institutions and his role in developing the Training Program in Computational Neuroscience at NYU. As the author of the textbook "Theoretical Neuroscience: Understanding Cognition", he continues to systematize knowledge in his field for future scholars. Currently, his laboratory explores the development of large-scale brain circuit models for flexible behavior, maintaining his position as a central figure connecting theoretical neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychiatric research while advancing understanding of the neural basis of cognition.
