CIRONG LIU LAB @ ION

An opposing molecular gradient axis underlies primate cortical organization

Huang Z#, Yang Q#, Li S#, Zhu X#, Wang H#, Lin J#, ..., Rosa M*, Sun Y*, Hao S*, Liu C*

Published on April 17, 2026. doi: 10.1126/science.aea2673. # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding authors.

• Commentary by Dr. George Paxinos titled "Two Gradients, One Cortex".
• Version-6 at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Multi-modal integration of spatial transcriptomics, MRI, and retrograde tracing in the marmoset cortex.
• Two opposing molecular gradients underlie cortical organization.
• Postnatal development of the opposing gradients.
• Molecular shifts along the opposing gradients delineate cortical parcellation.
• The opposing gradients are mirrored in thalamic gene expression and connectivity.
• The default mode network resides at the intersection of opposing gradients.
• Shared molecular signatures in auditory cortices of humans and marmosets.

Evolutionary convergence and divergence of hippocampal cytoarchitecture between rodents and primates revealed by single-cell spatial transcriptomics

Fei T#, Dong Y#, Gou X#, Zhang J#, Wang G#, Yuan N#, Zhuang Z#, Chen D#, ..., Liu S*, Liu C*, Shen Z*, Sun Y*, Li C*, Mulder J*, Cao G*, Sun Y*, Xu C*

doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf595. # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding authors.

• Single-cell spatial transcriptomics of hippocampus.

Whole-brain reconstruction of fiber tracts based on the cytoarchitectonic organization

Zhang Y#, Song T#, Yang C#, Shen Y, ..., Poo M, Zhou P, Bi G*, Xiao Y*, Liu C*, Xu F*

doi: 10.1038/s41592-025-02865-2. # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding authors.

• Part-2 of the Version-2 (White Matter) at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• A new method (CABLE) to reconstruct whole-brain fiber tracts from cytoarchitecture.
• Cellular-resolution mapping to disentangle complex intersecting fibers.
• Validation against brain-wide AAV axon tracing in the same animal.
• Identification of cell-type contributions to orientation coherence using spatial transcriptomics.

Cross-species single-cell spatial transcriptomic atlases of the cerebellar cortex

Hao S, Zhu X, Huang Z, Yang Q, Liu H, Wu Y, Zhan Y, Dong Y, Li C, ..., Zeeuw C*, Shen Z*, Liu Z*, Liu L*, Liu S*, Sun Y*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1126/science.ado3927. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Version-5 series at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Mapping cell types and gene expression by single-cell spatial transcriptome.
• Comprehensive cross-species comparison between primates and mice.
• Integration of spatial transcriptome and awake fMRI.

Diverse and asymmetric patterns of single-neuron projectome in regulating interhemispheric connectivity

Fei Y, Wu Q, Zhao S*, Song K, Han J*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47762-y. * Co-corresponding authors.

• The application and computational modeling of single-neuron projectome.
• Wide-field calcium imaging of awake and sleep for functional connectivity.

Brain developmental and cortical connectivity changes in the transgenic monkeys carrying the human-specific duplicated gene srGAP2C

Meng X, Lin Q, Zeng X, Jiang J, Li M, Luo X, Chen K, Wu H, Yan H, Liu C*, Su B*

doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwad281. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Transgenic monkeys for human brain evolution.

An Anatomical and Connectivity Atlas of the Marmoset Cerebellum

Zhu X, Yan H, Zhan Y, Feng F, Wei C, Yao Y*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112480. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Version-5 series at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Cover Paper of Cell Reports (Volume 42, Issue 5).

Temporal fingerprints of cortical gyrification in marmosets and humans

Wang Q, Zhao S*, Liu T, Han J*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhad245. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Use Deep Neural Network to identify temporal fingerprints of cortical gyrification.

An integrated resource for functional and structural connectivity of the marmoset brain

Tian X*, Chen Y, Majka P, Szczupak D, Perl Y, Yen C, Tong C, Feng F, Jiang H, Glen D, Deco G, Rosa M*, Silva A*, Liang Z*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35197-2. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Version-4 at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Largest awake resting-state fMRI resource of marmosets.

The Brain Circuits and Dynamics of Curiosity-Driven Behavior in Naturally Curious Marmosets

Tian X, Silva A*, Liu C*

doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhab080. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Task-based (visual) fMRI to explore the innate novelty-seeking brain circuits.

Marmoset Brain Mapping V3: Population multi-modal standard volumetric and surface-based templates

Liu C#, Yen C#, Szczupak D, Tian X, Glen D, Silva A*

doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117620. # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding authors.

• Version-3 at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Special Issue (Non-human Primate Neuroimaging) of Neuroimage.

A resource for the detailed 3D mapping of white matter pathways in the marmoset brain

Liu C*, Ye F, Newman J, Szczupak D, Tian X, Yen C, Glen D, Majka P, Rosa M, Leopold D, Silva A*

doi: 10.1038/s41593-019-0575-0. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Version-2 at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Cover Paper of Nature Neuroscience (Vol. 23 No. 2).
• Highlighted by Nature Methods.

Anatomical and functional investigation of the marmoset default mode network

Liu C*, Yen C, Szczupak D, Ye F, Leopold D, Silva A*

doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09813-7. * Co-corresponding authors.

• Awake functional MRI of marmoset.
• Default Mode Network of marmoset.

Transgenic rhesus monkeys carrying the human MCPH1 gene copies show human-like neoteny of brain development

Shi L#, Luo X#, Jiang J#, Chen Y#, Liu C#, Hu T, Li M, Lin Q, Li Y, Huang J, Wang H, Niu Y, Shi Y, Styner M, Wang J, Lu Y, Sun X, Yu H, Ji W*, Su B*

doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwz043. # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding authors.

• Transgenic monkeys for human brain evolution.

A digital 3D atlas of the marmoset brain based on multi-modal MRI

Liu C, Ye F, Yen C, Newman J, Glen D, Leopold D, Silva A*

doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.004.

• Version-1 at MarmosetBrainMapping.org.
• Cover Paper of Neuroimage (2018 Apr).

Altered structural connectome in adolescent socially isolated mice

Liu C, Li Y, Edwards T, Kurniawan N, Richards L, Jiang T*

doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.06.037.

Rhesus monkey brain development during late infancy and the effect of phencyclidine: a longitudinal MRI and DTI study

Liu C#, Tian X#, Liu H#, Mo Y, Bai F, Zhao X, Ma Y, Wang J*

doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.056. # Co-first authors