Haiyan WU | Psychology | Women Researcher Award

Prof. Haiyan WU | Psychology | Women Researcher Award

Assistant Professor at University of Macau, China

Prof. Haiyan Wu is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, with a research focus on cognitive neuroscience and decision-making. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Beijing Normal University and has previously held academic positions at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the California Institute of Technology. Her work explores neural mechanisms underlying social emotions, cognitive control, and decision-making, with numerous publications in high-impact journals such as NeuroImage and Cerebral Cortex. Prof. Wu has led several significant research projects funded by organizations such as the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. She has received multiple awards, including being named among the 30 Young Innovators in Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence. With an h-index of 26 and over 1,900 citations, her contributions have significantly advanced understanding in her field.

Profile

Education

Prof. Haiyan Wu has a robust academic background in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. She earned her Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Beijing Normal University, China, between 2010 and 2013, where she focused on the neural mechanisms underlying human cognition. Prior to this, she completed her Master’s degree in Psychology at Zhejiang Normal University from 2007 to 2010, gaining a strong foundation in psychological theories and research methods. Prof. Wu’s academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Guangxi Normal University, completed in 2007, which provided her with a comprehensive understanding of educational theories and practices. Her diverse educational experiences across prominent Chinese universities have equipped her with a multidisciplinary perspective, combining psychology, neuroscience, and education, which now informs her research and teaching at the University of Macau. Her educational background has been pivotal in her development as an expert in cognitive and brain sciences.

Professional Experience

Prof. Haiyan Wu is an esteemed Assistant Professor at the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology at the University of Macau, a position she has held since August 2020. Prior to this, she served as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, from 2017 to 2020. Her career also includes a Visiting Associate position at the California Institute of Technology between 2017 and 2019. Earlier, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, from 2013 to 2017. Prof. Wu’s professional journey highlights her significant contributions to the fields of cognitive neuroscience and psychology, with research focusing on neural mechanisms underlying social and cognitive behaviors. Her experience spans prestigious academic institutions, contributing to her reputation as a leading figure in cognitive and social neuroscience.

 Research Interest

Prof. Haiyan Wu’s research interests primarily lie in the fields of cognitive neuroscience and psychology, with a focus on the neural mechanisms underlying social behavior, decision-making, and cognitive control. Her work explores how the brain processes emotions, empathy, social conformity, and dishonesty, using advanced neuroimaging techniques like fMRI and EEG. Prof. Wu has investigated the role of oxytocin in modulating social emotions and behaviors, as well as the neural correlates of moral decision-making and cooperation. Additionally, her research delves into the cross-cultural neural mechanisms of kinship and the effects of group identity on empathy. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates behavioral science with neurophysiological analysis, aiming to understand the complex interactions between brain function, social dynamics, and cognitive processes. Prof. Wu’s research contributes to advancements in fields like social neuroscience, neuropsychology, and brain-inspired intelligence, bridging the gap between cognitive science and real-world social interactions.

Research Skills

Prof. Haiyan Wu is an expert in cognitive neuroscience and psychology, with a strong focus on decision-making, social behaviors, and neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. Her research skills include advanced neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and EEG, which she uses to study brain activity related to empathy, social interaction, and cognitive control. She is proficient in data analysis using neurophysiological tools and has a deep understanding of behavioral science, integrating both psychological and neural data. Prof. Wu is also skilled in experimental design, especially in cross-cultural and social neuroscience research, investigating how social and emotional factors influence human decision-making. Additionally, she excels in using computational modeling to understand cognitive processes, contributing to the fields of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Her collaborative work has led to innovative approaches in both theoretical and applied research, making significant contributions to cognitive and brain sciences.

Award and Recognition

Prof. Haiyan Wu, Ph.D., has received numerous awards and recognition for her outstanding contributions to psychology and neuroscience. In 2023, she was named one of the “30 Young Innovators in Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence,” highlighting her innovative research in cognitive neuroscience. She was also recognized for her excellence in mentorship when her PhD student, Yanyan Qi, received the prestigious Awards of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2018. Earlier, in 2017, she was honored as the Outstanding Associate Professor at the Institute of Psychology, CAS. Additionally, her academic excellence was acknowledged during her graduate studies when she was named an Outstanding Graduate Student at Zhejiang Normal University in 2010. Prof. Wu’s contributions to the scientific community are reflected in her leadership of numerous high-impact research projects, as well as her prolific publication record, which further solidifies her reputation as a leading figure in her field.

Conclusion

Dr. Wu’s stellar research, international collaborations, and numerous grants position her as a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award. With further development in mentorship and public outreach, her influence can reach new heights.

Publications Top Notes

  1. Title: Abnormal baseline brain activity in bipolar depression: a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study
    • Authors: C.H. Liu, F. Li, S.F. Li, Y.J. Wang, C.L. Tie, H.Y. Wu, Z. Zhou, D. Zhang, J. Dong, Z. Huang, H. Gong
    • Journal: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
    • Year: 2012
    • Volume: 203 (2-3)
    • Pages: 175-179
    • Citations: 138
  2. Title: Temporal course of executive control when lying about self- and other-referential information: an ERP study
    • Authors: X. Hu, H. Wu, G. Fu
    • Journal: Brain Research
    • Year: 2011
    • Volume: 1369
    • Pages: 149-157
    • Citations: 113
  3. Title: Neural signatures of social conformity: A coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional brain imaging studies
    • Authors: H. Wu, Y. Luo, C. Feng
    • Journal: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
    • Year: 2016
    • Volume: 71
    • Pages: 101-111
    • Citations: 103
  4. Title: Suppression of aversive memories associates with changes in early and late stages of neurocognitive processing
    • Authors: C. Chen, C. Liu, R. Huang, D. Cheng, H. Wu, P. Xu, X. Mai, Y.J. Luo
    • Journal: Neuropsychologia
    • Year: 2012
    • Volume: 50 (12)
    • Pages: 2839-2848
    • Citations: 68
  5. Title: The procrastinators want it now: behavioral and event-related potential evidence of the procrastination of intertemporal choices
    • Authors: H. Wu, D. Gui, W. Lin, R. Gu, X. Zhu, X. Liu
    • Journal: Brain and Cognition
    • Year: 2016
    • Volume: 107
    • Pages: 16-23
    • Citations: 66
  6. Title: Unexpected acceptance? Patients with social anxiety disorder manifest their social expectancy in ERPs during social feedback processing
    • Authors: J. Cao, R. Gu, X. Bi, X. Zhu, H. Wu
    • Journal: Frontiers in Psychology
    • Year: 2015
    • Volume: 6
    • Article ID: 1745
    • Citations: 58
  7. Title: Mentalizing during social interaction: A four component model
    • Authors: H. Wu, X. Liu, C.C. Hagan, D. Mobbs
    • Journal: Cortex
    • Year: 2020
    • Volume: 126
    • Pages: 242-252
    • Citations: 57
  8. Title: A novel convolutional neural network model to remove muscle artifacts from EEG
    • Authors: H. Zhang, C. Wei, M. Zhao, Q. Liu, H. Wu
    • Conference: ICASSP 2021 – IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing
    • Year: 2021
    • Pages: n/a
    • Citations: 55
  9. Title: Machine Learning Applications on Neuroimaging for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Epilepsy: A Review
    • Authors: J. Yuan, X. Ran, K. Liu, C. Yao, Y. Yao, H. Wu, Q. Liu
    • Journal: Journal of Neuroscience Methods
    • Year: 2021
    • Article ID: 109441
    • Citations: 50
  10. Title: Altruistic and self-serving goals modulate behavioral and neural responses in deception
  • Authors: F. Cui, S. Wu, H. Wu, C. Wang, C. Jiao, Y. Luo
  • Journal: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
  • Year: 2018
  • Volume: 13 (1)
  • Pages: 63-71
  • Citations: 44