Portrait
Jiachuan Wang
Graduate Researcher
Ph.D. Candidate
Logo National University of Singapore
About Me

I am a Ph.D. student at the National University of Singapore working in computational and cognitive neuroscience. My research focuses on the neural mechanisms 🧠 underlying learning, memory, and decision-making, and I am interested in how physiological factors influence the acquisition and exploitation of knowledge. I develop interpretable computational models 🖥️ grounded in theory and experimental data to explain and predict cognitive processes and behavior.

Currently, I am building biologically plausible models of spatial learning and associative memory, advised by Andrew Tan, Camilo Libedinsky, and Shih-Cheng Yen. Previously, I worked on reinforcement learning and fMRI research Gedi Lukšys, and contributed to monkey connectome research with Anna Wang Roe.

Curriculum Vitae
Education
  • National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore
    Ph.D. Student in Medicine
    Neuroscience and Biostatistics dual Track
    2023 - present
  • Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University
    B.Sc. in Bioinformatics
    2019 - 2023
  • The University of Edinburgh
    The University of Edinburgh
    B.Sc. (Hons) in Biomedical Informatics
    2019 - 2023
Experience
  • National University of Singapore
    National University of Singapore
    Camilo Libedinsky lab
    Graduate Researcher
    Sep. 2023 - present
  • The University of Edinburgh
    The University of Edinburgh
    Gediminas Lukšys lab
    Research Intern
    Mar. 2022 - Aug. 2023
  • Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University
    Zhiping Wang lab
    Research Intern
    Jan. 2022 - Sep. 2022
    Jun. 2020 - Aug. 2020
  • Zhejiang University
    Zhejiang University
    Anna Wang Roe lab
    Research Intern
    Apr. 2021 - Oct. 2021
Honors & Awards
  • NUS Research Scholarship
  • Outstanding Graduate of Zhejiang University
  • Zhejiang University Scholarship
  • ZJU-UoE Institute Academic Scholarship (¥40,000)
News
2026
I will be attending the AAAI 2026 Workshop on Neuro for AI & AI for Neuro in Singapore, giving a spotlight presentation on our recent work, Unsupervised Hebbian learning drives biologically interpretable pattern separation in a hippocampal-striatal network. Feel free to reach out! Spotlight
Jan 27
2025
I will be at CCN 2025 in Amsterdam to present our recent work, A biologically plausible computational model of hippocampal neurogenesis and pattern separation in memory. Feel free to reach out! Featured
Aug 13
Our work, A biologically plausible computational model of hippocampal neurogenesis and pattern separation in memory, was presented at the Neuroscience & Artificial Intelligence Symposium!
Apr 29
Our recent work, A biologically plausible reinforcement learning model for the causal relationship between hippocampal Hebbian plasticity and pattern separation in memory, was presented at the NeuroFrontiers: Bridging Molecules, Minds, and AI Systems Symposium!
Jan 21
2024
I won the first prize in the CTC Youth Cup International Organizations Document Translation Competition, awarded by the China Translation Corporation and UNITAR CIFAL Shanghai!
Jan 30
Selected Publications (view all )
A biologically plausible computational model of hippocampal neurogenesis and pattern separation in memory
A biologically plausible computational model of hippocampal neurogenesis and pattern separation in memory

Jiachuan Wang, Vachan Shetru Jagadeesh, M Ganesh Kumar, Camilo Libedinsky, Shih-Cheng Yen, Andrew Yong-Yi Tan, Jai S Polepalli

Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN) 2025

We developed a computational model incorporating an entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus circuit. Simulations suggested that impaired synaptic plasticity or increased neurogenesis alone was sufficient to disrupt behavioral pattern separation.

A biologically plausible computational model of hippocampal neurogenesis and pattern separation in memory

Jiachuan Wang, Vachan Shetru Jagadeesh, M Ganesh Kumar, Camilo Libedinsky, Shih-Cheng Yen, Andrew Yong-Yi Tan, Jai S Polepalli

Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (CCN) 2025

We developed a computational model incorporating an entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus circuit. Simulations suggested that impaired synaptic plasticity or increased neurogenesis alone was sufficient to disrupt behavioral pattern separation.

Computational model-based analysis of spatial navigation strategies under stress and uncertainty using place, distance and border cells
Computational model-based analysis of spatial navigation strategies under stress and uncertainty using place, distance and border cells

Shiqi Wang, Jiachuan Wang, Wenyuan Zhu, Yuchen Cheng, Beste Aydemir, Yanran Qiu, Wulfram Gerstner, Carmen Sandi, Gedi Luksys

Neuroscience 2023: Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2023

We investigated how stress and uncertainty affect learning in two mouse strains using the Morris water maze and modeled their behavior with a biologically plausible network of border and place cells, revealing computational correlates of temperature-based differences.

Computational model-based analysis of spatial navigation strategies under stress and uncertainty using place, distance and border cells

Shiqi Wang, Jiachuan Wang, Wenyuan Zhu, Yuchen Cheng, Beste Aydemir, Yanran Qiu, Wulfram Gerstner, Carmen Sandi, Gedi Luksys

Neuroscience 2023: Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2023

We investigated how stress and uncertainty affect learning in two mouse strains using the Morris water maze and modeled their behavior with a biologically plausible network of border and place cells, revealing computational correlates of temperature-based differences.

Fine-tuning of mTOR signaling by the UBE4B-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase cascade in brain development
Fine-tuning of mTOR signaling by the UBE4B-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase cascade in brain development

Xiangxing Kong, Xin Shu, Jiachuan Wang, Dandan Liu, Yingchun Ni, Weiqi Zhao, Lebo Wang, Zhihua Gao, Jiadong Chen, Bing Yang, Xing Guo, Zhiping Wang

Development 2022

The UBE4B-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase cascade regulates mTOR activity in neurodevelopment, and its disruption impairs neural precursor proliferation and differentiation, which can be rescued by mTOR inhibition.

Fine-tuning of mTOR signaling by the UBE4B-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase cascade in brain development

Xiangxing Kong, Xin Shu, Jiachuan Wang, Dandan Liu, Yingchun Ni, Weiqi Zhao, Lebo Wang, Zhihua Gao, Jiadong Chen, Bing Yang, Xing Guo, Zhiping Wang

Development 2022

The UBE4B-KLHL22 E3 ubiquitin ligase cascade regulates mTOR activity in neurodevelopment, and its disruption impairs neural precursor proliferation and differentiation, which can be rescued by mTOR inhibition.

All publications