Hyunchan Lee
Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, NEI, NIH
Research interests
Social Emotional Neuroscience
Research Statement
Dr. Lee is a researcher specializing in resilience, which helps animals overcome unexpected challenges in their lives. During his Ph.D. studies, he studied the neurophysiological effects of affiliative behaviors in reducing stress and substance abuse in animals. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Lee joined Okihide Hikosaka’s lab, where he is investigating how the primate brain forms diverse dopaminergic and serotonergic networks to manage unexpected disappointment and control unwanted body movements.
PERSONAL
Nationality: Republic of Korea
Position: Research Fellow, Neuronal Networks Section,
Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health
Advisor: Okihide Hikosaka (Neurotree)
E-mail: dr.hyunchan@gmail.com
Google Scholar / Pubmed / ORCID / Loop / Research Gate / LinkedIn
Upcoming appearances (2024)
Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting
October 5-9, Chicago, United States
PUBLICATIONS
Primate oculomotor decision-makings in social emotinoal behaviors
12. Lee H, Hikosaka O. (TBD) The implication of separate groups of dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. (in submission).
11. Lee H, Hikosaka O. (TBD) Lateral habenula and periaqueductal gray neurons signal contextual reward expectations chunking sequential social and reward-seeking behaviors. (in re-submission).
In the sequential events, for example, A→B→C
PAG activities were tonically active and continued to the subsequent event (A→B O, B→C O, A→C O)
PAG could be the brain area where prominently involved in regulating the continuity and engagement of sequential goal-directed behaviors (presented by Stationary gaze↑ → face-to-face viewing↑, eye-contact↑, central fixation bias in scene viewing↑).
10. Lee H, Hikosaka O. (2022) Lateral habenula neurons signal step-by-step changes of reward prediction. iScience. 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105440
Finding 1) In sequential events, such as A→B→C
LHb responds moment-to-moment to prediction errors (RPE) (A→B O, B→C O but A→C X)
While LHb could play a distinguished role in guiding direction at each step, there might be another brain area more prominently involved in regulating continuity and engagement to complete all the sequential events.
Finding 2) If multiple factors contribute to reward predictions, excitation or inhibition of LHb response is primarily determined by the strongest factor of RPE
9. Lee H, Hikosaka O. (2022) Lateral habenula responses during eye contact in a reward conditioning task. Front Behav Neurosci. 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.815461
Finding 1) Reward expectation↑ → LHb ↓ → Stationary gaze↑ during sequential events.
ex) during sequential events, such as A→B→C, Stationary gaze in A↑→B↑→C↑.
(Stationary gaze is associated with increased face-to-face viewing, eye-contact, and center fixation bias in scene viewing)
Finding 2) Stationary gaze in A↑→sequential action to B↑
Social buffering & Social exclusion
8. Lee H, Jung T, Kim W, Noh J. (2019) The link between social context-dependent anxious behavior and habenular mast cells in fear-conditioned rats. Behav Brain Res. 1;359:239-246. [Link]
7. H Lee, J Noh. (2015) Social exclusion intensifies anxiety-like behavior in adolescent rats. Behav Brain Res. 1;284:112-7. [Link]
6. H Lee, J Noh. (2016) Pair exposure with conspecific during fear conditioning induces the link between freezing and passive avoidance behaviors in rats. Neurosci Res. 108:40-5. [Link]
Nicotine aversion & Maternal substance use & Social enrichment (Oxytocin)
5. H Lee, T Jung, W Kim, J Noh. (2018) Alteration of adolescent aversive nicotine response and anxiety-like behavior in nicotine-exposed rats during late lactation period. Behav Brain Res. 30;337:122-130. [Link]
4. H Lee, M Jang, W Kim, J Noh. (2017) Differential effects of pair housing on voluntary nicotine consumption: a comparison between male and female adolescent rats. Psychopharmacology 234(16):2463-2473. [Link]
3. H Lee, M Jang, J Noh. (2017) Oxytocin attenuates aversive response to nicotine and anxiety-like behavior in adolescent rats. Neurosci Res. 115:29-36. [Link]
2. H Lee, S Chung, J Noh. (2016) Maternal nicotine exposure during late gestation and lactation increases anxiety-like and impulsive decision-making behavior in adolescent offspring of rat. Toxicol Res. 32(4): 275-280. [Link]
1. H Lee, MS Kang, JM Chung, J Noh. (2015) Repeated nicotine exposure in adolescent rats: Reduction of medial habenular activity and augmentation of nicotine preference. Physiol Behav.138:345-50. [Link]
CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS
POSTER
19. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2023) Inactivation of periaqueductal gray neurons impairs primate oculomotor engagement in goal-directed behaviors. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 040.08.
18. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2023) Effect of periaqueductal gray inactivation on primate oculomotor engagement in goal-directed behaviors. International Brain Research Organization. Abstr. 4774.
17. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2023) The Role of Periaqueductal Gray Neurons in Reward Signaling and Eye Movement Control in Goal-Directed Actions. Gordon Research Conferences. Abstr. 2.
16. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2022) Neuronal mechanisms underlying social motivation and approach: lateral habenula, periaqueductal gray, and superior colliculus. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 313.13.
16. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2022) Emotional history of environment guided sequential action and activities in emotion-to-motion brain structures: lateral habenula, periaqueductal gray, and superior colliculus. The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science. Abstr. FP-0275
16. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2022) Lateral habenula and periaqueductal gray neurons represent environmental motivation of reward-seeking behavior. Gordon Research Conferences. Abstr. 28.
15. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2021) Lateral habenula neurons encode step-by-step changes of reward prediction. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 665.05.
14. H Lee, K Maeda, O Hikosaka (2019) Habenula and periaqueductal gray represent eye contact established by emotional history. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 325.25.
13. H Lee, K Maeda, O Hikosaka (2019) Tonic signaling of habenula and periaqueductal gray for eye contact and sentimental reasons. International Brain Research Organization. Abstr. P30.29.
12. H Lee, K Maeda, O Hikosaka (2018) Unilateral inactivation of primate amygdala causes contralateral hemineglect in emotional facial expression and defensive behaviors. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 782.12.
11. H Lee, T Jung, W Kim, J Noh. (2016) The link between anxious behaviors and habenular mast cells in social inequity-conditioned rats. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 630.01.
10. H Lee, M Jang, J Noh. (2016) Bimodal modulation of social factors on nicotine aversion in rats: Focus on sex difference, pair housing and oxytocin. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 549.17.
9. H Lee, T Jung, W Kim, J Noh. (2016) Developmental alteration of nicotine-induced behaviors in rats exposed to nicotine during late lactation period. The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science. Abstr. CB-25.
8. H Lee, J Noh. (2016) Characterization of nicotinic neural activities in rat medial and lateral habenula. International College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Abstr. PM317.
7. H Lee, J Noh. (2016) Reduction of sensitivity to nicotine aversion in repeated nicotine-injected rats. The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Abstr. PM289.
6. H Lee, T Jung, Y Kang, M Kim, W Kim, W Kim, J Han, S Chung, J Noh. (2015) Social inequity in rats: intensification of anxiety-like behaviors and regulation of mast cells in the habenula. The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology. Abstr. 15F-645.
5. H Lee, J Noh (2014) Repeated nicotine exposure in rats: alteration of medial habenula and blockade effect of oxytocin. Society for Neuroscience. Abstr. 231.22.
4. H Lee, J Noh (2014) Alteration of nicotine addictive behaviors and medial habenular activities in repeated nicotine exposed adolescent rats. The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science. Abstr. 2014F-016.
3. E Lee, T Jeong, M Jang, S Chung, H Lee, J Noh (2014) Reinforcement of alcohol preference in adolescence caused by peer rather than by stress. The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Science. Abstr. 2014F-292.
2. H Lee, J Noh (2014) Effect of medial habenular activity on nicotine aversion in repeated nicotine-exposed rats. The Japan Neuroscience Society. Abstr. P3-051.
1. H Lee, J Noh (2013) The effect of social exclusion on emotional behavior. The Korean association of biological sciences. Abstr. F105.
TALK
4. H Lee, O Hikosaka (2022) Gaze on invaluable memories hits the road in the brain for sequential behaviors. National Eye Institute, 2022 Focus on Fellows.
3. H Lee, J Noh (2014) Effect of medial habenular activity on nicotine aversion in repeated nicotine-exposed rats. The Japan Neuroscience Society. Abstr. ST-5-4.
2. H Lee, J Noh (2014) A social neuroscience perspective on adolescent addiction. Dankook University, Dept. Science Education. P87.
1. H Lee, J Noh (2012) An exploration of resilience as a solution of the school problems. Dankook University, Dept. Science Education. P157.
AWARDS AND HONORS
AWARDS
2023: Special Act Award, National Institutes of Health
2023: Performance Management Appraisal Program (PMAP) Award, National Institutes of Health
2023: Performance Management Appraisal Program (PMAP) Award, National Institutes of Health
2017: Excellent thesis Award from Beomjeong Academic Paper Awards, Dankook University
2017: Encouragement Award from 1st Semester Beomjeong Academic Paper Awards, Dankook University
2015: National Empathy Award from X-project, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning
2015: Best Paper Award from 2nd Semester Beomjeong Academic Paper Awards, Dankook University
SCHOLARSHIP
2017: Scholarship for International Academic Exchange from Dankook University
2016: Scholarship for Academic Travel Abroad from Dankook University
2013-2016: Scholarship for Research Support from Dankook University
2012, 2015: Dankook Scholarships from Dankook University
2008: Scholarship for Academic Excellence from Dankook University
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
1. Qian Zhong et al. (2024) Knowledge and awareness of nicotine, nicotine replacement therapy, and electronic cigarettes among general practitioners with a special interest in respiratory medicine in China. Front Medicine. 10:1236453
2. Daniel Wehrli et al. (2023) Smoking trends and health equity in Switzerland between 1992 and 2017: dependence of smoking prevalence on educational level and social determinants. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Nov 23;14:1258272.
Questions?
Contact [dr.hyunchan@gmail.com] to get more information