Yingjie Kang

Research

Modulatory Effects of 4-EG on Cognitive and Affective Dysfunction

  • #Cognition
  • #Spatial learning and memory
  • #RNAseq
  • #Single-cell RNA-seq
Mouse brain tissue positioned on a microscope stage during experimental preparation.
Experimental preparation for the 4-EG study.

Overview

This project examined cognition and behavior in mice with neuroinflammation, including the effects of 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG). My work combined behavioral testing with tissue and cell analyses.

Research Question

How can behavioral phenotypes and neural cell-state changes be integrated to characterize cognitive dysfunction?

Methods

Behavioral testing sequence

Spatial learning and memory were assessed alongside locomotor activity and exploration.

01Open-field test

Open-field arena: an open-topped square enclosure with a virtual central zone.

Locomotor activity and exploration

02Y-maze

Y-maze: three enclosed arms meeting at a central junction.

Spatial working memory

03Morris water maze

Morris water maze: a circular pool with a submerged platform and external visual cues.

Spatial learning and memory

Schematic illustrations, shown in testing order. Methods: open-field test, Y-maze, and Morris water maze.

Cellular characterization

Transcriptomic analyses examined gene expression at tissue and cell resolution.

Bulk RNA-seq
I examined tissue-level changes in gene expression.
Single-cell RNA-seq
I investigated differences among cell populations and their heterogeneity.

Single-cell workflow

  1. Quality control
  2. Normalization
  3. Clustering
  4. Marker-guided annotation

Method reading: Luecken & Theis, 2019 · Becht et al., 2019 · Seurat guided clustering.

Supporting validation

I also carried out histological, biochemical, and cell-based experiments to characterize neural injury.

Manuscript

A manuscript from this work is under review at Brain Research Bulletin.

Manuscript details

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