On the afternoon of May 10, 2024, at the invitation of Professor Yang Peng from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Professor Hanchuan Peng, Director of the Joint Research Center between Southeast University and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in the USA, delivered the 108th session of the Shenzhen Medical Forum at Shaheyuan, Lihu Campus. His lecture, titled "Full-Spectrum Neuronal Diversity and Stereotypy through Whole Brain Morphometry," was hosted by Professor Yang Peng and attracted numerous faculty members and students from Shenzhen University.

In his presentation, Prof. Hanchuan Peng explored the relationship between neuronal diversity and whole-brain morphometry, offering insights into the complexities of neurons in the mammalian brain. He introduced a groundbreaking study in whole-brain morphometry, in which his team conducted an extensive analysis of mouse brain images at single-cell resolution, covering 3.7 trillion voxels. This study has created one of the largest databases of mammalian brain morphometry to date, forming a robust foundation for understanding neuronal diversity and function. The research includes the 3D annotation of over 180,000 neuronal cell bodies, simulation of more than 15,000 dendritic microenvironments, and comprehensive mapping of thousands of neurons and their axonal structures. Additionally, the study identified a substantial number of axonal varicosities, potentially representing synaptic sites and providing new insights into neuronal connectivity. Prof. Peng’s team also conducted in-depth analyses of neuronal populations, dendritic microenvironments, and single-cell morphologies, revealing the full spectrum and core characteristics of neuronal diversity. This research significantly advances our understanding of the complexity and diversity of neurons in the mammalian brain and offers valuable data for future investigations.

Prof. Peng’s lecture provided a comprehensive overview of neuronal diversity and whole-brain morphometry. This research not only delineates the anatomical structures and types of neurons but also covers multiple scales and features, creating a large-scale resource for understanding neuronal diversity in the mammalian brain. These findings enhance our grasp of the brain’s complexity and diversity and present new directions for research.

Prof. Hanchuan Peng's Biography:

Professor Hanchuan Peng (Fellow of AIMBE and IEEE) is the Director of the Joint Research Center between Southeast University and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in the USA. His research focuses on brain science and medical applications, including big data acquisition, management, visualization, analysis, and knowledge mining in the brain, as well as brain mapping, structural-functional models, and AI applications. He is the inventor of the widely used Vaa3D system in imaging big data and the Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) feature selection algorithm in machine learning and data mining. Prof. Peng has pioneered digital brain mapping and connectivity graphs with single-cell accuracy and developed associated technologies. His work encompasses human, mouse, fruit fly, and nematode neuronal morphology, big data processing, high-performance computing, and AI algorithms. His achievements have been published in leading journals (such as Nature in 2021a,b,c,d; Nature Methods in 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024; Cell in 2009; Nature Biotechnology in 2010, 2016; Neuron in 2015, 2020; Science Advances in 2023; TPAMI in 2005, among others). His research has been widely featured by media outlets, including Nature News, Science News, Science magazine, and National Public Radio. His work has received numerous accolades, including the Top Ten Advances in Chinese Life Sciences of 2021 by the China Association for Science and Technology and the Best Paper of the Year by the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

Prof. Baiying Lei presented Prof. Hanchuan Peng with the "Shenzhen University Medicine Forum" Honorary Medal