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Decision Neuroscience Lab

Morality

 
Our lab uses behavioral and neuroscience methods (e.g. fMRI/EEG) to study economic and social decision-making in young adults, children/adolescents/older adults, and patients with psychiatric disorders.  We have access to 3T Prisma MRI scanner, EGI/EEG hyperscan system, TMS, fNIRS, and eye-tracking on the HKBU campus.
 
Our research topics are generally focused on the areas of
Morality, Rationality, and Creativity (MRC). 
Morality: cooperation, trust, lying,
Rationality: decision bias, reinforcement learning,
Creativity: diversity, disinhibition, cognition.
Lab PI: Dr. Rongjun YU, 
        Ph.D. in brain science, MRC-CBUUniversity of Cambridge, 2011
        Academic positions:
​        Associate Professor, Academy of Wellness and Human Development, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU); 
        Associate Director, Life Science Imaging Center (LSIC), HKBU;
        Associate Editor, Neurobiology of Stress (IF=7.142, 2021)
       
Google scholar profile  (total citations > 7100; H index=47, papers>170) 
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0123-1524  Scopus   OSF  LinkedIn
Email: rongjunyu@hkbu.edu.hk

  • Selected publications

Acute stress promotes brain network integration and reduces state transition variability

PNAS (Brief report), 2022 (pdf)    news

Spontaneous dishonesty does not specifically engage the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex

PNAS (letter), 2022 (pdf)

Distinct neural patterns underlying ingroup and outgroup conformity,

PNAS (letter), 2019 (pdf)    

Neural activity associated with monitoring the oscillating threat value of a tarantula,

PNAS (article), 2010 (pdf)

The human amygdala parametrically encodes the intensity of specific facial emotions and their categorical ambiguity,

Nature Communications, 2017 (pdf) 

Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: A systematic and meta-analytic review. 

Psychological Bulletin, 2021 (pdf)

A Key Role for Similarity in Vicarious Reward,

Science, 2009 (pdf)

 

​Publication metrics between 2014-2023 from SciVal

(>82% were published in Q1  (25%) journals)

   

         

          

  • Opportunities 

For Ph.D. scholarship (multiple positions)

Affiliations: PhD students are accepted to the Academy of Wellness and Mental Health, under Education Studies or SPEH.

Research topics: educational neuroscience, social neuroscience, or other psychology-related topics.

Period of Study: Minimum Period (36 months), Normal Period (48 months)

Link: https://gs.hkbu.edu.hk/programmes?type[]=research-postgraduate-programmes

Doctor of Philosophy / Master of Philosophy (Department of Education Studies)

Track 1: funded by the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme or Belt and Road Scholarship Scheme.

External deadline: 1 December 2024

Track 2: funded by PI's RGC research grants or internal schemas, 

1st deadline: 1 December 2024;  2nd deadline: 15 April 2025 

For details, please check:  https://educ.hkbu.edu.hk/?page_id=20338

Postdoctoral positions (multiple positions available in 2025)

Track 1: supported by research grants.

Track 2: funded by the RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (deadline: Oct)

Track 3: Hong Kong Scholars Program 香江学者计划   (deadline: March)

 
       Research Assistant Professors (RAPs) 

Track 1: supported by the university and FASS, for candidates doing research in FASS's niche research areas. 

(deadline: all year round)

Research Assistant (Life Science Imaging Center): 

       Please refer to center website https://lsic.hkbu.edu.hk/ (deadline: all year round)

​       

  • Selected grants 

        See the ORCID profile for the list of grants.

 

        Major Hong Kong RGC grants 

Title: "A neurocognitive theory of unethical  behavior and implications for organizational  behavior",  PI

Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) 2022/23 

人文學及社會科學傑出學者   

Title: "Brain Connectome of model-based learning and cognitive flexibility in gifted individuals" PI

NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme - 2023/24

國家自然科學基金委員會及香港研究資助局聯合科研資助基金

Title: "Brain Connectome of exceptional longevity: magnetic resonance imaging of (near) centenarians in Hong Kong", PI

Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) 2024

健康長壽催化創新獎(香港)

Co-PI RGC projects:

"Blind Following in Older Adults? – The Computational Processes and Neural Mechanisms of Age-Related Differences in Risky Decision-Making under Social Influence" RGC, General Research Fund (GRF), 2025-2027

"The Role of the Human Frontopolar Cortex in Complex Decision Making: Neural Network Modelling, Aging, and Enhancement"

RGC Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG), 2024-2026

 

        Completed major grants in Singapore

"Visual saliency and reward saliency guide decision making", PI

S$498,558=HKD 2.5M, 2018-20, Tier 2, Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore

"Aversive learning and memory under stress: a neuroimaging study", PI

S$250,000=HKD 0.75M, 2017-19,  Young Individual Research Grant (IRG), National Medical Research Council  (NMRC), 

"You Are What You Surf: Characterizing Preference and Decision-making Styles With Digital Footprints"  PI

S$877,800=HKD 4.5M, 2018-21, Type A,  Social Science Research Thematic Grant (SSRTG), MOE, Singapore

Co-PI of "Building Human Capacity in Singapore’s Population: Testing Innovations in Human Development",

PI of the sub-project: "Improving Children's Social Skills"

Total S$8,479,995=HKD 51M, 2016-21,Type BSocial Science Research Thematic Grant (SSRTG), MOE, Singapore

  • Teaching

      2021-- now @HKBU

                 BUSI3066 Brain Science for Business  (teaching effectiveness = 4.75 out of 5)                 

       2014-2020 @NUS:

PL6888 Selected topics in social and cognitive neuroscience

PL5308 Advanced social and cognitive neuroscience

PL4205 Developmental processes     

PL4238 Social neuroscience

PL3260 Moral development             

PL3289 Lab in decision science

 

  • Trainee (former postdoc/PhD) placement

 See Alumni

  • Membership

American Psychological Association (APA)

Association for Psychological Science (APS)

Academy of Management (AOM), Organizational Neuroscience and Biology (NeuB)

Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)

Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity

Society for Neuroeconomics     

Social & Affective Neuroscience Society         Society for Social Neuroscience

Organization for Human Brain Mapping  

Association for Consumer Research | ACR      Society for Consumer Psychology (SCP)

Society for Research in Child Development    International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD)

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