Yuan Chang Leong
@ycleong.bsky.social
Pinned
Out now in @nathumbehav.nature.com! We applied graph theoretic analyses to fMRI data of participants watching movies/listening to stories. Integration across large-scale functional networks mediates arousal-dependent enhancement of narrative memories. Open access link: rdcu.be/eKKAw
One of the papers I've been most excited about since starting the lab!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
🎓Recruiting Ph.D. students for Fall 2026!🎓
The Feilong Lab @sc.edu studies commonalities & differences across brains, and how they relate to cognition, language, & disorders.
We develop brain templates, improve hyperalignment, and compare human brains with monkey brains & DNNs.
feilonglab.github.io
The Feilong Lab @sc.edu studies commonalities & differences across brains, and how they relate to cognition, language, & disorders.
We develop brain templates, improve hyperalignment, and compare human brains with monkey brains & DNNs.
feilonglab.github.io
Feilong Lab @ UofSC — Feilong Lab
feilonglab.github.io
November 7, 2025 at 5:55 PM
🎓Recruiting Ph.D. students for Fall 2026!🎓
The Feilong Lab @sc.edu studies commonalities & differences across brains, and how they relate to cognition, language, & disorders.
We develop brain templates, improve hyperalignment, and compare human brains with monkey brains & DNNs.
feilonglab.github.io
The Feilong Lab @sc.edu studies commonalities & differences across brains, and how they relate to cognition, language, & disorders.
We develop brain templates, improve hyperalignment, and compare human brains with monkey brains & DNNs.
feilonglab.github.io
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
The Computational and Cognitive Neural Sciences lab (ballardlab.org) at UC Riverside is recruiting psychology PhD students to join our team! Check out the flyer to learn about the lab and our stellar research community at UCR. Apply by 12/1!
drive.google.com/file/d/19m8i...
drive.google.com/file/d/19m8i...
November 5, 2025 at 9:29 PM
The Computational and Cognitive Neural Sciences lab (ballardlab.org) at UC Riverside is recruiting psychology PhD students to join our team! Check out the flyer to learn about the lab and our stellar research community at UCR. Apply by 12/1!
drive.google.com/file/d/19m8i...
drive.google.com/file/d/19m8i...
Had a great time chatting with CASNL alum @sudkrc.bsky.social and sharing our recent work on arousal!
Her editing/producing skills are next-level - she somehow wrangled my scattered brain into something that actually sounds coherent...
A true miracle worker 😅
Her editing/producing skills are next-level - she somehow wrangled my scattered brain into something that actually sounds coherent...
A true miracle worker 😅
NEW EPISODE OUT🧠!! In this episode, Su
@sudkrc.bsky.social chats with Dr. YC Leong @ycleong.bsky.social
of The University of Chicago on how dynamic brain connectivity predicts emotional arousal while watching Sherlock🕵️🧐
🎧LISTEN NOW: open.spotify.com/episode/5W22...
@sudkrc.bsky.social chats with Dr. YC Leong @ycleong.bsky.social
of The University of Chicago on how dynamic brain connectivity predicts emotional arousal while watching Sherlock🕵️🧐
🎧LISTEN NOW: open.spotify.com/episode/5W22...
161 - Yuan Chang (YC) Leong: Emotional arousal & dynamic brain connectivity
open.spotify.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Had a great time chatting with CASNL alum @sudkrc.bsky.social and sharing our recent work on arousal!
Her editing/producing skills are next-level - she somehow wrangled my scattered brain into something that actually sounds coherent...
A true miracle worker 😅
Her editing/producing skills are next-level - she somehow wrangled my scattered brain into something that actually sounds coherent...
A true miracle worker 😅
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
PhD applications for Cognitive and Psychological Sciences at Brown (@browncopsy.bsky.social) are due on December 1st. We have a great community, so please apply, share with your students, etc. Read more on our fancy new website here: copsy.brown.edu/graduate-study
Graduate Study
Our graduate programs are highly selective, successfully recruiting and retaining excellent students, competing with the top programs in the world. Our doctoral students go on to be scientists and sch...
copsy.brown.edu
October 30, 2025 at 2:56 PM
PhD applications for Cognitive and Psychological Sciences at Brown (@browncopsy.bsky.social) are due on December 1st. We have a great community, so please apply, share with your students, etc. Read more on our fancy new website here: copsy.brown.edu/graduate-study
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I'm recruiting PhD students for my lab at Northwestern! I'm reviewing applications for the Department of Psychology for the Cognitive Affective Neuroscience and Clinical areas, due 12/1. 🧠
Come join the CATS Lab: nucatslab.com
Learn about our latest research: iamh.northwestern.edu/research/res...
Come join the CATS Lab: nucatslab.com
Learn about our latest research: iamh.northwestern.edu/research/res...
CATS Lab
Child & Adolescent Translational Science Lab at Northwestern University
nucatslab.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I'm recruiting PhD students for my lab at Northwestern! I'm reviewing applications for the Department of Psychology for the Cognitive Affective Neuroscience and Clinical areas, due 12/1. 🧠
Come join the CATS Lab: nucatslab.com
Learn about our latest research: iamh.northwestern.edu/research/res...
Come join the CATS Lab: nucatslab.com
Learn about our latest research: iamh.northwestern.edu/research/res...
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
A new study in 'Nature Human Behavior' led by UChicago researchers combines fMRI data and natural language processing to understand how emotions lead to enhanced memory encoding, or "stickiness."
Learn more: bit.ly/3Lec2Gf
@jadynpark.bsky.social @ycleong.bsky.social
Learn more: bit.ly/3Lec2Gf
@jadynpark.bsky.social @ycleong.bsky.social
New Research Explores What Makes Emotional Memories Stick - DSI
By Sarah Steimer We can think of emotional experiences as sticky, explains the study’s senior author Yuan Chang (YC) Leong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and DSI Affiliate Resear...
bit.ly
October 28, 2025 at 10:26 PM
A new study in 'Nature Human Behavior' led by UChicago researchers combines fMRI data and natural language processing to understand how emotions lead to enhanced memory encoding, or "stickiness."
Learn more: bit.ly/3Lec2Gf
@jadynpark.bsky.social @ycleong.bsky.social
Learn more: bit.ly/3Lec2Gf
@jadynpark.bsky.social @ycleong.bsky.social
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
📢 Thrilled to share our paper is out now in @natcomms.nature.com
Shared computations underlie how we acquire actions that are mutually beneficial, instrumentally harmful (benefits self at the expense of others), altruistic (benefit others at the expense of self), or mutually costly
🧵 rdcu.be/eL8mZ
Shared computations underlie how we acquire actions that are mutually beneficial, instrumentally harmful (benefits self at the expense of others), altruistic (benefit others at the expense of self), or mutually costly
🧵 rdcu.be/eL8mZ
Neurocomputational basis of learning when choices simultaneously affect both oneself and others
Nature Communications - When learning to make choices that simultaneously affect the self and others, asymmetric encoding of information guides future social behaviors across mutually beneficial,...
rdcu.be
October 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
📢 Thrilled to share our paper is out now in @natcomms.nature.com
Shared computations underlie how we acquire actions that are mutually beneficial, instrumentally harmful (benefits self at the expense of others), altruistic (benefit others at the expense of self), or mutually costly
🧵 rdcu.be/eL8mZ
Shared computations underlie how we acquire actions that are mutually beneficial, instrumentally harmful (benefits self at the expense of others), altruistic (benefit others at the expense of self), or mutually costly
🧵 rdcu.be/eL8mZ
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I will be recruiting 🌟PhD students🌟 for my newish lab! If you're interested in learning & memory mechanisms applied to individual, interactive & collective behavior using computational modeling, real-world experiments and fMRI, email me! RTs much appreciated 🙏 rouhanilab.com
Interactive Cognition Lab | USC
Interactive Cognition Lab at USC, led by principal investigator, Dr. Nina Rouhani.
rouhanilab.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I will be recruiting 🌟PhD students🌟 for my newish lab! If you're interested in learning & memory mechanisms applied to individual, interactive & collective behavior using computational modeling, real-world experiments and fMRI, email me! RTs much appreciated 🙏 rouhanilab.com
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
What happens in the brain as people become less lonely? Intergenerational community programs can reduce loneliness, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We collected and analysed 732 🧠-scans to find out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@introspection.bsky.social + @escross.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@introspection.bsky.social + @escross.bsky.social
Longitudinal intergenerational hyperscanning reveals indices of relationship formation and loneliness
Loneliness is globally acknowledged as a severe and burgeoning health risk, fuelling interest in helping people of all ages form meaningful social connections. One promising approach consists of inter...
www.biorxiv.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
What happens in the brain as people become less lonely? Intergenerational community programs can reduce loneliness, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We collected and analysed 732 🧠-scans to find out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@introspection.bsky.social + @escross.bsky.social
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@introspection.bsky.social + @escross.bsky.social
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
Consider applying to the PhD program at Chicago Booth! The application deadline is Dec 15. 1/
www.chicagobooth.edu/phd/admissio...
www.chicagobooth.edu/phd/admissio...
See Application Requirements
Ready to join our community of bold thinkers? Here’s how to apply.
www.chicagobooth.edu
October 15, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Consider applying to the PhD program at Chicago Booth! The application deadline is Dec 15. 1/
www.chicagobooth.edu/phd/admissio...
www.chicagobooth.edu/phd/admissio...
One of the papers I've been most excited about since starting the lab!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
Out now in @nathumbehav.nature.com! We applied graph theoretic analyses to fMRI data of participants watching movies/listening to stories. Integration across large-scale functional networks mediates arousal-dependent enhancement of narrative memories. Open access link: rdcu.be/eKKAw
October 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
One of the papers I've been most excited about since starting the lab!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
We adopt a network neuroscience approach to understand how arousal reconfigures large-scale functional network organization to support memory of complex narratives!
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
How does motivation shape learning and memory? In a new review w @ralisonadcock.bsky.social, we propose that under different motivational ‘moods', neuromodulators set distinct neural contexts to determine information processing and memory formation.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
#psychscisky #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
#psychscisky #neuroskyence
Motivation as Neural Context for Adaptive Learning and Memory Formation
Our memories shape our perception of the world and guide adaptive behavior. Rather than a veridical record of experiences, memory is selective. An accumulating body of work suggests that motivational ...
www.annualreviews.org
October 13, 2025 at 4:09 AM
How does motivation shape learning and memory? In a new review w @ralisonadcock.bsky.social, we propose that under different motivational ‘moods', neuromodulators set distinct neural contexts to determine information processing and memory formation.
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
#psychscisky #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1146/annu...
#psychscisky #neuroskyence
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
Job Opportunity Alert
Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship at the University of Chicago: apply.interfolio.com/173322
EOE/Vet/Disability
Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship at the University of Chicago: apply.interfolio.com/173322
EOE/Vet/Disability
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Job Opportunity Alert
Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship at the University of Chicago: apply.interfolio.com/173322
EOE/Vet/Disability
Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship at the University of Chicago: apply.interfolio.com/173322
EOE/Vet/Disability
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
Very excited to share that my first paper, with Peter Mende-Siedlecki and @leorhackel.bsky.social, is out now in @commspsychol.nature.com! ☺️
Can getting more rewards make you feel more skilled, even if your performance doesn't change?
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Can getting more rewards make you feel more skilled, even if your performance doesn't change?
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Rewards bias self-evaluations of ability - Communications Psychology
People often receive rewards for good performance, but what happens when rewards do not reflect ability? Two behavioral studies suggest that rewards can impact how we evaluate our own ability, above and beyond the impact of actual performance.
www.nature.com
October 3, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Very excited to share that my first paper, with Peter Mende-Siedlecki and @leorhackel.bsky.social, is out now in @commspsychol.nature.com! ☺️
Can getting more rewards make you feel more skilled, even if your performance doesn't change?
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Can getting more rewards make you feel more skilled, even if your performance doesn't change?
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I’m excited to share my 1st first-authored paper, “Distinct portions of superior temporal sulcus combine auditory representations with different visual streams” (with @mtfang.bsky.social and @steanze.bsky.social ), now out in The Journal of Neuroscience!
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
October 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I’m excited to share my 1st first-authored paper, “Distinct portions of superior temporal sulcus combine auditory representations with different visual streams” (with @mtfang.bsky.social and @steanze.bsky.social ), now out in The Journal of Neuroscience!
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
www.jneurosci.org/content/earl...
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I'm recruiting PhD students to join my new lab in Fall 2026! The Shared Minds Lab at @usc.edu will combine deep learning and ecological human neuroscience to better understand how we communicate our thoughts from one brain to another.
October 1, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I'm recruiting PhD students to join my new lab in Fall 2026! The Shared Minds Lab at @usc.edu will combine deep learning and ecological human neuroscience to better understand how we communicate our thoughts from one brain to another.
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
We're excited to announce that the #SANS2026 Presidential Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Steve Chang of Yale! (medicine.yale.edu/profile/stev...). He will deliver an address titled "Diverse Social Strategies and Neural Mechanisms underlying Mutual Cooperation"
September 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM
We're excited to announce that the #SANS2026 Presidential Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Steve Chang of Yale! (medicine.yale.edu/profile/stev...). He will deliver an address titled "Diverse Social Strategies and Neural Mechanisms underlying Mutual Cooperation"
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
📢 My lab at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine is considering graduate student applications this fall
We welcome applicants interested in using computational modeling & fMRI to study social connection
🗓️ Deadline: December 1, 2025
🔗 Learn more: sinclaboratory.com/apply
#comppsychiatry #socialneuro
We welcome applicants interested in using computational modeling & fMRI to study social connection
🗓️ Deadline: December 1, 2025
🔗 Learn more: sinclaboratory.com/apply
#comppsychiatry #socialneuro
September 22, 2025 at 6:17 PM
📢 My lab at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine is considering graduate student applications this fall
We welcome applicants interested in using computational modeling & fMRI to study social connection
🗓️ Deadline: December 1, 2025
🔗 Learn more: sinclaboratory.com/apply
#comppsychiatry #socialneuro
We welcome applicants interested in using computational modeling & fMRI to study social connection
🗓️ Deadline: December 1, 2025
🔗 Learn more: sinclaboratory.com/apply
#comppsychiatry #socialneuro
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I’m admitting 1–2 Ph.D. students to join my lab in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder, starting Fall 2026. We study person perception, stereotyping and prejudice, and intervention science.
Application info: www.colorado.edu/psych-neuro/...
Lab info: www.svmlab.org
Application info: www.colorado.edu/psych-neuro/...
Lab info: www.svmlab.org
Colorado Social Vision & Mind Lab
The Social Vision & Mind Lab (Director: Youngki Hong, Ph.D.) at the University of Colorado Boulder explores how people perceive and make sense of the physica...
www.svmlab.org
September 10, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I’m admitting 1–2 Ph.D. students to join my lab in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder, starting Fall 2026. We study person perception, stereotyping and prejudice, and intervention science.
Application info: www.colorado.edu/psych-neuro/...
Lab info: www.svmlab.org
Application info: www.colorado.edu/psych-neuro/...
Lab info: www.svmlab.org
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
I came across a terrific interview with Peter Dayan, always a delight to listen to.
Peter's speed of mind and talk is possibly unsurpassable.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cttx...
Peter's speed of mind and talk is possibly unsurpassable.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cttx...
Peter Dayan: How to study the brain from a computational view | Q-Learning, Memory, Decision Making
YouTube video by Neuroscience and Beyond
www.youtube.com
September 27, 2025 at 8:58 AM
I came across a terrific interview with Peter Dayan, always a delight to listen to.
Peter's speed of mind and talk is possibly unsurpassable.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cttx...
Peter's speed of mind and talk is possibly unsurpassable.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cttx...
amazing work led by @hongkai1.bsky.social suggesting that wanting to be unique can make social media posts more negative over time!
🚨New preprint🚨
osf.io/preprints/ps...
In a sample of ~2 billion comments, social media discourse becomes more negative over time
Archival and experimental findings suggest this is a byproduct of people trying to differentiate themselves
Led by @hongkai1.bsky.social in his 1st year (!) of his PhD
osf.io/preprints/ps...
In a sample of ~2 billion comments, social media discourse becomes more negative over time
Archival and experimental findings suggest this is a byproduct of people trying to differentiate themselves
Led by @hongkai1.bsky.social in his 1st year (!) of his PhD
September 26, 2025 at 10:25 PM
amazing work led by @hongkai1.bsky.social suggesting that wanting to be unique can make social media posts more negative over time!
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
Last month, I launched my lab at Ohio State. Our lab website is now live, and we're recruiting graduate students this cycle! If you're interested in the cognitive (neuro)science of learning & memory, please reach out!
www.momentslab.org
www.momentslab.org
Moments Lab
www.momentslab.org
September 19, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Last month, I launched my lab at Ohio State. Our lab website is now live, and we're recruiting graduate students this cycle! If you're interested in the cognitive (neuro)science of learning & memory, please reach out!
www.momentslab.org
www.momentslab.org
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
🚨Introducing the SANS Fellows Program 🚨
We’re excited to honor members whose scholarship, mentorship, & service have shaped social & affective neuroscience!
Nominate someone—or yourself—to be a SANS Fellow!
Details: socialaffectiveneuro.org/sans-fellows...
We’re excited to honor members whose scholarship, mentorship, & service have shaped social & affective neuroscience!
Nominate someone—or yourself—to be a SANS Fellow!
Details: socialaffectiveneuro.org/sans-fellows...
September 11, 2025 at 7:46 PM
🚨Introducing the SANS Fellows Program 🚨
We’re excited to honor members whose scholarship, mentorship, & service have shaped social & affective neuroscience!
Nominate someone—or yourself—to be a SANS Fellow!
Details: socialaffectiveneuro.org/sans-fellows...
We’re excited to honor members whose scholarship, mentorship, & service have shaped social & affective neuroscience!
Nominate someone—or yourself—to be a SANS Fellow!
Details: socialaffectiveneuro.org/sans-fellows...
Reposted by Yuan Chang Leong
🧠✨ Exciting new research alert! ✨🧠
Did you know that catecholamines can reduce choice history biases in perceptual decision-making? 🧐🔍
Paper: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
With @donnerlab.bsky.social and @swammerdamuva.bsky.social
Did you know that catecholamines can reduce choice history biases in perceptual decision-making? 🧐🔍
Paper: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
With @donnerlab.bsky.social and @swammerdamuva.bsky.social
September 5, 2025 at 8:05 AM
🧠✨ Exciting new research alert! ✨🧠
Did you know that catecholamines can reduce choice history biases in perceptual decision-making? 🧐🔍
Paper: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
With @donnerlab.bsky.social and @swammerdamuva.bsky.social
Did you know that catecholamines can reduce choice history biases in perceptual decision-making? 🧐🔍
Paper: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
With @donnerlab.bsky.social and @swammerdamuva.bsky.social
check out @hayoungsong.bsky.social's new work combining RNNs, fMRI and verbal reports to study how the brain represents and retrieves causally related memories while watching a TV episode! has been super fun to be part of this!
How does the brain🧠 make causal inferences and use memories to understand narratives🎬?
We built an RNN🤖 with key-value episodic memory that learns causal relationships between events and retrieves memories like humans do!
Preprint www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
w/ @qlu.bsky.social, Tan Nguyen &👇
We built an RNN🤖 with key-value episodic memory that learns causal relationships between events and retrieves memories like humans do!
Preprint www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
w/ @qlu.bsky.social, Tan Nguyen &👇
A neural network with episodic memory learns causal relationships between narrative events
Humans reflect on past memories to make sense of an ongoing event. Past work has shown that people retrieve causally related past events during comprehension, but the exact process by which this causa...
www.biorxiv.org
September 5, 2025 at 1:53 PM
check out @hayoungsong.bsky.social's new work combining RNNs, fMRI and verbal reports to study how the brain represents and retrieves causally related memories while watching a TV episode! has been super fun to be part of this!