Room: 307A, BMSB Office: 2609 6880 Email: whyung@cuhk.edu.hk

YUNG, Wing Ho

Professor

B.Sc., 1^st class, (1985) Chinese University of Hong Kong
M.Phil. (1987) Chinese University of Hong Kong
D.Phil. (1990) University of Oxford
B.Sc., 1^st class (1995) in Computing & Information Systems, University of London

Commonwealth Scholar (1987-1990);
Croucher Foundation Fellow (1990-1991);
Teacher of the Year, Faculty of Medicine (99/00; 00/01; 04/05; 05/06);
Vice-President, Hong Kong Society of Neuroscience

Research Interests: Synaptic Transmission/Nervous System Dysfunction

Synaptic transmission is the process by which nerve cells communicate with each other and therefore participates in diverse functions in the brain. My main research interest is to understand more about the process of synaptic transmission, as a means to understand brain functions and dysfunctions. Under this theme there are several lines of research I am particularly interested in:

• The basal ganglia are well known to participate in motor control. Thus, changes in neurotransmission in the basal ganglia are believed to underlie the symptoms and compensatory changes of diseases like Parkinson's disease. Understanding these processes has been a major effort of my laboratory. Recently, a series of studies focusing on GABA and other neurotransmitters/neuromodulators in the globus pallidus have advanced our understanding on this critical and yet relatively less studied basal ganglia nucleus. (Collaborators: Dr. C. Savio Chan; Dr. L. Chen; Dr. K.K.L. Yung)
  
  
• The role of secretin in the brain has aroused increased interest in recent year. My collaborator and I and were the first to show that this peptide and its receptor are expressed in the cerebellum and actively modulate synaptic transmission. Since secretin has been implicated in the etiology and treatment of autism we are seeking to understand more about the functions of this peptide in the central nervous system, by both electrophysiological and molecular approaches. (Collaborators: Dr. Y.S. Chan; Dr. Billy K.C. Chow; Dr. J.J. Wang)
  
  
• I am also interested in the activity-dependent, persistent modification of synaptic transmission known as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). These processes are believed to underlie learning and memory formation. The roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in late-phase LTP, as well as the effects of intermittent hypoxia on early and late-phase LTP are the current focus of research. (Collaborators: Dr. Nancy Ip; Dr. P.S. Leung; Dr. Albert Li; Dr. Petti Pang; Dr J. Xia)

Selected Recent Publications:

Invited review

W.H.Yung, Y.S.Chan, B.K.C. Chow & J.J. Wang (2006) The role of secretin in the cerebellum. The Cerebellum 5:43-48.

C.S. Chan, D.J. Surmeier & W.H.Yung (2005) Striatal information signaling and integration in the globus pallidus: timing matters. NeuroSignals 14:281-289.

Research article

Y Xue, L Chen, JX Xie & WH Yung (2007) Electrophysiological and behavioral effects of neurotensin in rat globus pallidus: an in vivo study. Exp. Neurol. 205:108-115.

WY Fu, Y Chen, M Sahin, XS Zhao, L Shi, JB Bikoff, KO Lai, WH Yung, AKY Fu, ME Greenberg & NY Ip (2007) Cdk5 regulates EphA4-mediated dendritic spine retraction through an ephexin1-dependent mechanism. Nat. Neurosci. 10:67-76.

CKS Leung, WH Yung*, C KF Yiu, SW Lam, DY Leung, KK Tse, CC Tham, WM Chan & DS Lam (2006) A novel approach for anterior chamber angle analysis – Anterior Chamber Angle Detection with Edge Measurement and Identification Algorithm (ACADEMIA) Arch. Ophthal. 124:1395-1401 *Co-1st author

L. Chen, KKL Yung & WH Yung (2006) Neurotensin selectively facilitates glutamatergic transmission in rat globus pallidus. Neuroscience 141:1871-1878.

W Jin, JY Xu, M Cao, LS Peng, WH Yung, DZ Liao, SM Duan, MJ Zhang & J Xia (2006) Lipid binding regulates PICK1’s synaptic targeting, AMPA receptors trafficking and synaptic plasticity. J. Neurosci. 16:2380-90.

A.K.Y. Fu, F.C.F. Ip, W.Y. Fu, J. Cheung, J.H. Wang, W.H. Yung & N.Y. Ip (2005) Aberrant motor axon projection, AChR clustering and neurotransmission in Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 null mice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA 102:15224-15229.

S.M.Y. Lee, L. Chen, B.K.C. Chow & W.H.Yung (2005) Endogenous release and multiple actions of secretin in the rat cerebellum. Neuroscience 134:377-386.

P. Pang, H. Teng, Zaitsev E, Sakata K, W.H.Yung, B. Hempstead, B. Lu (2004) Proteolytic conversion from pro- to mature BDNF by tPA/plasmin is essential for long-term hippocampal plasticity. Science 305: 487-491.

Current Grants

• (2004 - 2007) ‘The neurotrophic action of secretin in the developing cerebellum’, NSFC/RGC Grant, HK$610,600, Principal investigator

• (2004 - 2007) ‘Neuroanatomy of GABA Receptors in the Developing Rat Basal Ganglia ‘, RGC Grant, HK$863,968, Co-investigator

• (2006 - 2009) ‘Mechanisms underlying the regulation of BDNF on late-phase long-term potentiation’, RGC Grant HK$793,500, Principal investigator

• (2006 - 2009) ‘Functional maturation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic receptors in canal-and otolith-related neurons of the inferior olive’, RGC Grant HK$1,229,500, Co-investigator