Yaqiong Xiao, Ph.D.,is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health and Public Health at the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in 2017 from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences/Leipzig University, Germany. From 2017 to 2021, she completed postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland, College Park, and the Autism Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego, focusing on the neural mechanisms of social communication and language deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder. As a first or corresponding author, she has published in high-impact journals such asNature Human Behaviour, European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Molecular Autism, NeuroImage, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,and theJournal of Alzheimer’s Disease.Herresearch has been funded by the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program (Key Project) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientists Fund).

Investigating the neural mechanisms of language processing and development in typically and atypically developing children using multimodal neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, fNIRS,andEEG).

Identifying early biomarkers of language developmental disorders in children.

Developing diagnostic and intervention tools for early language impairments.

Developingcognitive training platforms for children.

Exploring the neural basis of cognitive decline in older adults.

Academic Background

2024/08 - Assistant Professor

Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology, Shenzhen, China

2021/03 - 2024/08 Research Scientist

Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China

2019/04 – 2021/03 Postdoctoral Scholar

University of California, San Diego, USA

2017/05 – 2019/03 Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Maryland, College Park, USA

Education Background

2013/10 - 2017/2 Doctorate Degree, Majored in Psychology

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

2010/09 – 2013/06 Master of Education, Majored in Applied Psychology

Guangzhou University, China

2005/09 – 2009/07 Bachelor of Management, Majored in Archival Science

Northwest University, China

Selected publications

1.Xiao，Y.,Zhang, N. Huang, K., Zhang, S., Xin, J., Huang, Q., Yi, A., (2024). Neuroanatomical Basis of Language Ability in an Autism Subgroup with Moderate Language Deficits.European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02605-5.

2. Xiao, Y., Gao L., Hu Y. (2024). Disrupted single-subject grey matter networks are associated with cognitive decline and cortical atrophy in Alzheimer's disease.Frontiers in Neuroscience18:1366761.

3. Xiao, Y.,Wen, H.T., Kupis, L., Eyler T.L., Taluja, V., Troxel, J., Goel, D., Lombardo, V.M., Pierce, K., Courchesne, E. (2023). Atypical functional connectivity of temporal cortex with precuneus and visual regions may be an early-age signature of ASD.Molecular Autism14:11.

4.Xiao, Y.,Wang, J., Huang, K., Gao, L., Yao, S.,for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (2023). Progressive structural and covariance connectivity abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer's disease.Front. Aging Neurosci14:1064667.

5.Xiao, Y.,Liao, L., Huang, K., Yao, S., Gao, L., for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative(2023). Coupling between hippocampal parenchymal fraction and cortical grey matter atrophy at different stages of cognitive decline.Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease,93:791–801.

6.Xiao, Y.,Hu, Y., Huang, K., for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Atrophy of hippocampal subfields relates to memory decline during the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease.Front. Aging Neurosci. 15:1287122.

7.Xiao, Y.,Wen, H.T., Kupis, T., Eyler, T.L., Goel, D., Vaux, K., Lombardo, V.M., Lewis, N.E., Pierce, K., Courchesne, E. (2022). Neural responses to affective speech, including motherese, map onto clinical and social eye tracking profiles in ASD toddlers.Nature Human Behaviour 6, 443–454.

8. Xin, J., Huang, K., Yi, A., Feng, Z., Liu, H., Liu, X., Liang, L., Huang, Q.,Xiao, Y.*(2023). Absence of associations with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum may link to early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD.Frontiers in Psychiatry,14:1144993.

9. Xiao, Y., Alkire, D., Moraczewski, D., Redcay, E. (2022). Developmental differences in brain functional connectivity during social interaction in middle childhood.Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 54.

10.Xiao, Y., Geng, F., Riggins, T., Chen, G., & Redcay, E. (2019). Neural correlates of developing theory of mind competence in early childhood.Neuroimage184,707–716.

11.Xiao, Y.,Friederici, A.D., Margulies, D.S. & Brauer, J. (2016). Longitudinal changes in resting-state fMRI from age 5 to age 6 years covary with language development.Neuroimage128, 116–124.

12.Xiao, Y.,Friederici, A.D., Margulies, D.S. & Brauer, J. (2016). Development of a selective left-hemispheric fronto-temporal network for processing syntactic complexity in language comprehension.Neuropsychologia83, 274–282.

13.Xiao, Y.,Brauer, J., Lauckner, M., Zhai, H., Jia, F., Margulies, D., & Friederici, A. (2016). Development of the intrinsic language network in preschool children from age 3 to 5 years.PLoS ONE11(11), e0165802.

14.Xiao, Y.,Zhai, H., Friederici, A.D. & Jia, F. (2016). The development of the intrinsic functional connectivity of default network subsystems from age 3 to 5.Brain Imaging Behav.10(1), 50–59.

15. Brauer, J.,Xiao, Y.,Poulain, T., Friederici, A.D. & Schirmer, A. (2016). Frequency of Maternal Touch Predicts Resting Activity and Connectivity of the Developing Social Brain.Cereb. Cortex26 (8), 3544–3552.

Scientific research project (optional)

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China—Youth Foundation Project: “Neural basis of language processing in preschool children with autism” (32200808), from 2023-1-1 to 2025-12-31.

2. Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (Key Project): “Brain Structure Morphological changes in Alzheimer’s Disease” (JCYJ20200109144801736) from 2020-11 to 2024-5.

Awards (optional)

2021 Shenzhen Overseas High-Caliber Personnel (Level C)

2017 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Berlin, Germany

Other Notable Achievements (optional)