Tian Ming Gao, M.D., PhD

Professor 
Vice President of the Southern Medical University
Director of Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders of Guangdong Province
Deputy Director of State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research
Principle Investigator of the National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Disease

Dr. Tian Ming Gao is the Director of Institutes of Mental Health at Southern Medical University, Distinguished Professor of Chang Jiang Scholarship of Ministry of Education, and Winner of National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars. He is also the Vice President of Chinese Neuroscience Society and Associate Editors of Neuroscience Bulletin and Pharmacological Research. 

Dr. Gao’s research interest focuses on discovering novel therapeutic drug targets and approaches for neuroprotection and depression. Dr. Gao’s research was/is sponsored by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Scientific Research Foundation for Innovation Team of Ministry of Education of China, and so on. 

He has contributed more than 60 research articles to reputed academic journals such as Nature Medicine, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, PNAS. The major findings and conclusions of Dr. Gao’s studies have been cited and positively commented on more than 2000 times by SCI papers from other groups. In recognition of the outstanding achievements in his own field, Dr. Gao was conferred the second prize of 2011 National Natural Science Award. He also received  the first prize twice and  the second prize of ministry and provincial Science and Technology Awards for three times. Dr. Gao was awarded Ding-Ying Science and Technology Award and San of i-Aventis Award for Outstanding Chinese Neuroscientists. He was named National Excellent Worker in Science and Technology and 100-Outstanding-Person in Guangdong. 

Among the graduate students, two received the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, one received the Program of Chang Jiang Scholarship, three received the National Special Support Program for High-level Personnel, two received the Thousand Talents Plan for Young Professionals, one received the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, two received the Guangdong Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, one received the National Excellent Doctoral Thesis Prize, and five received the PLA and Guangdong Excellent Doctoral Thesis Prize.

Selected Publications:

1.Cao X, Li LP, Wang Q, Wu Q, Hu HH, Zhang M, Fang YY, Zhang J, Li SJ, Xiong WC, Yan HC, Gao YB, Liu JH, Li XW, Sun LR, Zeng YN, Zhu XH*, Gao TM*. Astrocyte-derived ATP modulates depressive-like behaviors. Nature Medicine 2013, 19(6): 773-777.

2.Li B, Jie W, Huang L, Wei P, Li S, Luo Z, Friedman AK, Meredith AL, Han MH, Zhu XH, Gao TM*. Nuclear BK channels regulate gene expression via the control of nuclear calcium signaling. Nature Neuroscience 2014, 17(8): 1055-1063.

3.Woo RS, Li XM, Tao Y, Carpenter-Hyland E, Huang YZ, Weber J, Neiswender H, Dong XP, Wu J, Gassmann M, Lai C, Xiong WC, Gao TM*, Mei L*. Neuregulin-1 enhances depolarization-induced GABA release. Neuron 2007, 54(4): 599-610.

4.Lu Y, Sun XD, Hou FQ, Bi LL, Yin DM, Liu F, Chen YJ, Bean JC, Jiao HF, Liu X, Li BM, Xiong WC, Gao TM*, Mei L*. Maintenance of GABAergic activity by neuregulin 1-ErbB4 in amygdala for fear memory. Neuron 2014, 84(4): 835-846.

5.Chen YJ, Zhang M, Yin DM, Wen L, Ting A, Wang P, Lu YS, Zhu XH, Li SJ, Wu CY, Wang XM, Lai C, Xiong WC, Mei L*, Gao TM*. ErbB4 in parvalbumin-positive interneurons is critical for neuregulin 1 regulation of long-term potentiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010, 107(50): 21818-21823.

6.Liu ZP, He QH, Pan HQ, Xu XB, Chen WB, He Y, Zhou J, Zhang WH, Zhang JY, Ying XP, Han RW, Li BM, Gao TM*, Pan BX*. Delta Subunit-Containing Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid A Receptor Disinhibits Lateral Amygdala and Facilitates Fear Expression in Mice. Biological Psychiatry 2017, 81(12): 990-1002.

7.Li XM, Yang JM, Hu DH, Hou FQ, Zhao M, Zhu XH, Wang Y, Li JG, Hu P, Chen L, Qin LN, Gao TM*. Contribution of downregulation of L-type calcium currents to delayed neuronal death in rat hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. The Journal of Neuroscience 2007, 27(19): 5249-5259.

8.Zhu XH, Yan HC, Zhang J, Qu HD, Qiu XS, Chen L, Li SJ, Cao X, Bean JC, Chen LH, Qin XH, Liu JH, Bai XC, Mei L, Gao TM*. Intermittent hypoxia promotes hippocampal neurogenesis and produces antidepressant-like effects in adult rats. The Journal of Neuroscience 2010, 30(38): 12653-12663.

9.Bi LL, Sun XD, Zhang J, Lu YS, Chen YH, Wang J, Geng F, Liu F, Zhang M, Liu JH, Li XW, Mei L, Gao TM*. Amygdala NRG1-ErbB4 is critical for the modulation of anxiety-like behaviors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015, 40(4): 974-986.

10.Liu JH, You QL, Wei MD, Wang Q, Luo ZY, Lin S, Huang L, Li SJ, Li XW, Gao TM*. Social isolation during adolescence strengthens retention of fear memories and facilitates induction of late-phase long-term potentiation. Molecular Neurobiology 2015, 52(3): 1421-1429.