State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University

Faculty

Current Faculty

Bi Zhu Ph.D.Human memory and cognitive development zhubi#bnu.edu.cn https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=tgnEk7oAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

Educational Experience

In 2010, she received her PhD from Beijing Normal University (Advisor: Distinguished Prof. Chongde Lin; Co-advisors: Distinguished Prof. Elizabeth F. Loftus & Chancellor's Prof. Chuansheng Chen). From 2004 to 2008, she was a graduate student in the Institute of Developmental Psychology at Beijing Normal University (BNU), conducting research on children's cognitive development under the supervision of Prof. Chongde Lin, and participated in the BNU Gene-Brain-Behavior Project under the supervision of Prof. Qi Dong. From 2008 to 2010, she received joint doctoral training at University of California, Irvine, conducting research on human false memory and cognitive neurogenetics under the supervision of Professors Loftus, Chen, and Moyzis.

Professional Experience

Bi Zhu is a professor in the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning at Beijing Normal University (BNU). Since 2010, she has been working at BNU as Lecturer (2010-2014), Associate Professor (2014-2019), and Professor (2019-present). Her current work focuses on the studies of neural and genetic basis of human memory and cognitive development. Based on the Gene-Brain-Behavior project at BNU, her lab uses several experimental approaches, including neuroimaging, genetics, and cognitive assessments, to study the genetic and environmental factors in human memory and brain development. Her research is mainly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China. She received the award from Young top-notch talents of the Ten Thousand Talent Program. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on Cognitive Development and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. She revised the Chinese textbook of Child Psychology (6th edition) published by People’s Education Press.

Research Description

We focus on the neural basis of human learning and memory development, and their potential value for education and legal applications. Using several cognitive neuroscience research methods, including functional magnetic resonance brain imaging, we explore the developmental trajectory, individual differences, and dynamic changes of human memory and their neural representations. First, we study the neural basis of true and false memories in children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. Second, we study individual differences in human short-term and long-term memory, by exploring their neurotransmitter genotypes, brain structure, and environmental factors. Third, we study human memory for real-life events (e.g., visual images, auditory statements, and written documents), by exploring the dynamic changes of neural representations during encoding and retrieval.

Publications

1. Xuhao Shao, Chuansheng Chen, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Bi Zhu.* (2026). Shared memories of event details in the human brain are altered by misinformation and test expectations. PLOS Biology, 24(7): e3003886.

2. Xuhao Shao, Ao Li, Chuansheng Chen, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Bi Zhu.* (2023). Cross-stage neural pattern similarity in the hippocampus predicts false memory derived from post-event inaccurate information. Nature Communications, 14(1), 2299.

3. Xuhao Shao, Chuansheng Chen, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Gui Xue, Bi Zhu.* (2022). Dynamic changes in neural representations underlie the repetition effect on false memory. NeuroImage, 259, 119442.

4. Bi Zhu, Chuansheng Chen, Xuhao Shao, Wenzhi Liu, Zhifang Ye, Liping Zhuang, Li Zheng, Elizabeth F. Loftus, and Gui Xue. (2019). Multiple interactive memory representations underlie the induction of false memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116 (9), 3466-3475.

5. Chongde Lin and Bi Zhu. (2019). Chinese child psychology textbook in the new era: The 6th edition of Child Psychology published by People’s Education Press. Psychological Development and Education, 35(2), 254. (In Chinese).