Education

2002–2007, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Ph.D.

1998–2002, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, B.S.

 

Academic Experience

2025.11–Present, Changping Laboratory, Lead Scientist

2026.2–Present, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Professor

2021.4–Present, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Tenured Associate Professor

2019.2–2021.4, College of Engineering, Peking University, Tenured Associate Professor

2013.2–2019.4, College of Engineering, Peking University, Assistant Professor

2007.7–2013.2, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Postdoctoral Fellow

Overview of Academic Research

Dr. Duan’s research interest is on the development of novel implantable neural electrode arrays and brain–computer interface applications. She has published more than 20 papers on peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Neuroscience, Nature Nanotechnology, and Nature Communications, authored one monograph, and filed over 10 patent applications.

 

Key research areas include:

1）Duan Lab has developed a “Neuroscroll” probe featuring 1,024 channels/probes and a length range of 1–9 cm, enabling whole-brain depth coverage from rodents to the human brain. This technology breaks through the physical limitations of traditional electrodes in terms of recording channels and spatial coverage, achieving simultaneous, high-channels recording of neural signals in single-neuron resolution across the full depth and multiple brain regions of the macaque brain. In rats, it achieved continuous and stable spike recording up to 105 weeks, approximately twice the longest recording duration previously reported in the literature (Nature Neuroscience, 2024)；

2）We has also developed a range of large-area electrode arrays, including shape-changing electrode array, and advanced minimally invasive techniques for large-scale intracranial cortical signal recording. On rodent and canine animal models, we have revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of large-scale cortical neural activity during epileptic states and the transition from anesthesia to wakefulness (Nature Communications, 2024; ACS Nano, 2019; Nature Communications, 2018; Nano Letters, 2018)；

3）In addition, Dr. Duan’s group have developed MRI-compatible deep brain stimulation electrodes. In rat models, our research demonstrated the high response rate and instantaneous antidepressant effects of lateral habenula stimulation, elucidated the antidepressant mechanism at the circuit level, and revealed the spatial correlation between antidepressant efficacy and stimulation sites (eLife, 2023; Nature Communications, 2023; Nature Communications, 2020).

Major Honor and Awards

• National Natural Science Foundation of China, Young Scientists Fund, Category A

• National Natural Science Foundation of China, Excellent Young Scholar

Representative Research Achievements

1.Y. Liu, H. Jia, H. Sun, S. Jia, Z. Yang, A. Jiang, N. Yuji, C. Yang, S. Xue, X. Li, B. Chen, J. Zhu, X. Duan*, A high-density 1,024-channel probe for brain-wide recordings in non-human primates, Nature Neuroscience, 2024, 27(8): 1620-1631. 

2.Wei S, Jiang A, Sun H, Zhu J, Jia S, Liu X, Xu Z, Zhang J, Shang Y, Fu X, Li G, Wang P, Xia Z, Jiang T, Cao A, Duan X*. Shape-changing electrode array for minimally invasive large-scale intracranial brain activity mapping. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):715.  

3.Li G, Bo B, Wang P, Qian P, Li M, Li Y, Tong C, Zhang K, Zhang B, Jiang T, Liang Z, Duan X*. Instantaneous antidepressant effect of lateral habenula deep brain stimulation in rats studied with functional MRI. eLife. 2023;12:e84693.  

4.Yu Y, Qiu Y, Li G, Zhang K, Bo B, Pei M, Ye J, Thompson GJ, Cang J, Fang F, Feng Y, Duan X*, Tong C, Liang Z. Sleep fMRI with simultaneous electrophysiology at 9.4 T in male mice. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):1651.  

5.Liu X, Xu Z, Fu X, Liu Y, Jia H, Yang Z, Zhang J, Wei S, Duan X*. Stable, long-term single-neuronal recording from the rat spinal cord with flexible carbon nanotube fiber electrodes. J Neural Eng. 2022;19(5), 056024.

6.Fu X, Li G, Niu Y, Xu J, Wang P, Zhou Z, Ye Z, Liu X, Xu Z, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Lei T, Zhang B, Li Q, Cao A, Jiang T, Duan X*. Carbon-Based Fiber Materials as Implantable Depth Neural Electrodes. Front Neurosci. 2021;15:771980.  

7.Meng X, Cheng Y, Wang P, Chen K, Chen Z, Liu X, Fu X, Wang K, Liu K, Liu Z, Duan X*. Enhanced Hemocompatibility of a Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition-Derived Graphene Film. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021,13(4):4835-4843. 

8.S. Zhao#, G. Li#, C. Tong, W. Chen, P. Wang, J. Dai, X. Fu, Z. Xu, X. Liu, L. Lu, Z. Liang*, X. Duan*, “Full activation pattern mapping by simultaneous deep brain stimulation and fMRI with graphene fiber electrodes”, Nat. Commun., 11:1788 (2020).   

9.S. Wei, R. Yin, T. Tang, Y. Wu, Y. Liu, P. Wang, K. Wang*, M. Mei, R. Zou, X. Duan*, “Gas-Permeable, Irritation-Free, Transparent Hydrogel Contact Lens Devices with Metal-Coated Nanofiber Mesh for Eye Interfacing”, ACS Nano, 2019, 13, 7, 7920-7929.  

10.L. Lu, X. Fu, Y. Liew, Y. Zhang, S. Zhao, Z. Xu, J. Zhao, D. Li, Q. Li, G. B. Stanley, X. Duan*, “Soft and MRI Compatible Neural Electrodes from Carbon Nanotube Fibers”, Nano Lett., 19, 1577−1586 (2019).  

11.R. Yin, Z. Xu, M. Mei, Z. Chen, K. Wang, Y. Liu, T. Tang, M. Priydarshi, X. Meng, S. Zhao, B. Deng, H. Peng, Z. Liu, X. Duan*, “Soft transparent graphene contact lens electrode for conformal, full-cornea recording of electroretinogram”, Nat. Commun., 9, 2334 (2018).  

12.J. Zhang, X. Liu, W. Xu, W. Luo, M. Li, F. Chu, L. Xu, A. Cao, J. Guan, S. Tang, X. Duan*, “Stretchable Transparent Electrode Arrays for Simultaneous Electrical and Optical Interrogation of Neural Circuits in Vivo”, Nano Lett. 18, 2903-2911 (2018).  

13.S. Zhao, X. Liu, Z. Xu, H. Ren, B. Deng, M. Tang, L. Lu, X. Fu, H. Peng, Z. Liu, X. Duan*, “Graphene Encapsulated Copper Microwires as Highly MRI Compatible Neural Electrodes”, Nano Lett., 16, 7731-7738 (2016). 

14.T.-M. Fu, X. Duan∗, Z. Jiang, X. Dai, P. Xie, Z. Cheng, C. M. Lieber∗ “Sub-10-nm intracellular bioelectronic probes from nanowire–nanotube heterostructures”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 111, 1259-1264 (2014).

15.X. Duan, R. Gao, P. Xie, T. Cohen-Karni, Q. Qing, H. Choe, B. Tian, X. Jiang, C. M. Lieber∗, “Intracellular recordings of action potentials by an extracellular nanoscale field-effect transistor”, Nature Nanotech., 7, 174-179 (2012).