长期从事本能行为的神经环路研究，相关成果发表在Neuron（4篇）和Science 等期刊，其中博后期间发现的调节心血管活动的神经环路也参与睡眠调节为未来课题组研究奠定了基础。

实验室主要关注睡眠的“脑-心”互作机制，以小鼠为模型，通过动物行为学分析、脑电/肌电记录、心血管活动记录、活体神经活动记录、光遗传/化学遗传学、神经示踪、空间转录组学、分子遗传操作、免疫组化、荧光原位杂交等多种实验手段，一方面研究从“脑”至“心”，解析脑如何根据睡眠状态调节心血管活动；一方面研究从“心”到“脑”，解析心血管活动如何影响睡眠，以及在睡眠障碍与心血管疾病中“脑-心”互作的异常，以为治疗提供新的策略。

2022　MCB Outstanding Postdoc Award, UC Berkeley 

2020　First prize of 2020 Shanghai Natural Science Award, 4th awardee

2017　Chang Hsiang-Tung Outstanding Thesis Award 

2016　Outstanding PhD graduate in Shanghai 

2015　The Ray Wu Prize for Excellence 

2014　Invited Participant of the 64th Nobel Laureates Meeting in Lindau 

2014　First Prize of National Scholarship Award 

2013　Collaborative Scholarship Funded by the National Institute of Genetics, Japan 

2013　Sanofi Best Paper Award 

2012, 2013　Cold Spring Harbor Asia Fellowship 

2012　Annual Scientific Meeting of Institute of Neuroscience, 2nd prize of oral presentation

2006　Hui-Chun Chin and Tsung-Dao Lee Chinese Undergraduate Research Endowment 

2003-2007　Scholarship Awards of Lanzhou University

First Prize of National Scholarship Award

Guo-Chang Zheng Undergraduate Scholarship

*代表共同第一作者。

1.Yao, Y., Zeke, B., Saffari Doost, M., Tso, C.F., Darmohray, D., Silverman, D., Liu, D., Chen, M., Cetin., A., Yao, S., Zeng, H. and Dan, Y.（2022）Cardiovascular baroreflex circuit moonlights in sleep control. Neuron 110, 3986-3999.

2.Liu, D., Li, W., Ma, C., Zheng, W., Yao, Y., Tso, C.F., Zhong, P., Chen, X., Song, J.H., Choi, W., Paik, S.B., Han, H. and Dan, Y.（2020）A common hub for sleep and motor control in the substantia nigra. Science 367, 440-445.

3.Zhang, B.* , Yao, Y.* , Zhang, H., Kawakami, K., and Du, J. (2017). Left habenula mediates lightpreference behavior in zebrafish via an asymmetry visual pathway. Neuron 93, 914-928. (* Co-first author)

4.Yao, Y.*, Li, X. * , Zhang, B. * , Yin, C., Liu, Y., Chen, W., Zeng, S. and Du, J. (2016) Visual cue-specific dopaminergic control of visuomotor transformation and behavior selection. Neuron 89, 598- 612 (* Co-first author)

5.Yao, Y. (2016). Exploring neural substrates underlying the execution of behavior across the whole brain. Neurosci Bull 32, 505-507.

6.Wei, H., Yao, Y., Zhang, R., Zhao, X., Du, J. (2012). Activity-induced long-term potentiation of excitatory synapses in developing zebrafish retina in vivo. Neuron 75, 479-489.