Zhongzheng Fu, Ph.D.

Download Curriculum Vitae

Zhongzheng Fu, Ph.D., received his Bachelor’s degree in physics from University of Hong Kong. He earned his Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems from California Institute of Technology in 2019. His doctoral research focuses on understanding the single neuron mechanisms of self-monitoring of action errors, which signal lapses in cognitive control. His work discovers the neuronal basis for the error-related negativity (ERN), an important biomarker for psychiatric diseases. His postdoctoral work in the lab of Ueli Rutishauser at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center uncovers the neuronal mechanisms in the human medial frontal cortex that support robust generalization of cognitive control across different challenging cognitive tasks. In 2023, Dr. Fu joined the faculty of Department of Neurological Surgery at UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor.

Laboratory overview

We investigate the computational and neural bases of cognitive control in learning, memory and decision-making. A long-term goal is to understand cognitive control arises from neural processing at the cognitive, system and neural circuit level to produce flexible and generalizable goal-directed behaviors. Our experimental approaches include intracranial microelectrode recordings, electrocorticography, electroencephalography and eye tracking. We develop various computational models to describe human behaviors in cognitive tasks and neural activity, and characterize the brain-behavior relationship.

Graduate School

(2019)

• Brain-computer interface
• Cognitive control
• Decision making
• Metacognition

Featured Publications

Neurophysiological mechanisms of error monitoring in human and non-human primates.

Fu Z, Sajad A, Errington SP, Schall JD, Rutishauser U, Nat Rev Neurosci 2023 Mar 24 3 153-172

The geometry of domain-general performance monitoring in the human medial frontal cortex.

Fu Z, Beam D, Chung JM, Reed CM, Mamelak AN, Adolphs R, Rutishauser U, Science 2022 05 376 6593 eabm9922

Single-Neuron Correlates of Error Monitoring and Post-Error Adjustments in Human Medial Frontal Cortex.

Fu Z, Wu DJ, Ross I, Chung JM, Mamelak AN, Adolphs R, Rutishauser U Neuron 2019 Jan 101 1 165-177.e5

Single-Neuron Correlates of Awareness during Attentional Blinks.

Fu Z, Rutishauser U, Trends Cogn Sci 2018 Jan 22 1 5-7

Decision ambiguity is mediated by a late positive potential originating from cingulate cortex.

Sun S, Zhen S, Fu Z, Wu DA, Shimojo S, Adolphs R, Yu R, Wang S Neuroimage 2017 Jun 157 400-414

Somatic mutations of the immunoglobulin framework are generally required for broad and potent HIV-1 neutralization.

Klein F, Diskin R, Scheid JF, Gaebler C, Mouquet H, Georgiev IS, Pancera M, Zhou T, Incesu RB, Fu BZ, Gnanapragasam PN, Oliveira TY, Seaman MS, Kwong PD, Bjorkman PJ, Nussenzweig MC, Cell 2013 Mar 153 1 126-38

 Featured Books

Human single neuron recordings. In Encyclopedia of the Human Brain

Zhongzheng Fu, Ueli Rutishauser (2023). Academic Press

• CNSM Prize for an Exceptional Publication
  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2023-2023)
• Malaniak Award
  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2023-2023)
• CNSM Prize for an Exceptional Publication
  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2022-2022)
• Trainee Highlight Award
  BRAIN Initiative Meeting (2022-2022)