• Travel Award, Fellows Award for Research Excellence, NIH (2014)
• Outstanding Poster, Poster Day and Mentoring Awards, NIH (2014)
• Travel Award, Fellows Award for Research Excellence, NIH (2013)
• Travel Award, SENN - GA/SC Neuroscience Consortium (2010)

• Society for Neuroscience (2008–present)
• Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society (2012–present)

Dr. Wang's lab employs a multi-disciplinary approach including optogenetics, in vivo electrophysiology and in vivo calcium imaging techniques to investigate the neural ensemble dynamics underlying learning and memory consolidation. In particular, the lab focuses on the circuitry of the hippocampus and anatomically connected regions in learning and memory processes, and how alterations in these connections affect behavior. They also aim to discover ways by which learning and memory can be enhanced or weakened, and to develop innovative therapies for treatment of memory disorders such as amnesia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"Glutamate co-transmission does not potentiate acquisition of conditioned behavior reinforced by dopamine neuron activation"
Wang, D.V., Viereckel, T., Konradsson-Geuken, A., Broker,.C.J., Talishinsky, A., Yoo, J., Galinato, M.H., Hnasko, T.S., Wallen-Mackenzie, A. & Ikemoto, S.
Cell Reports 18, 2584-2591 (2017)

Coordinated interaction between hippocampal sharp-wave ripples and anterior cingulate unit activity.
Wang*, D.V. & Ikemoto*, S.
Journal of Neuroscience 36, 10663-10672 (2016)
*Co-corresponding authors

"Pontomesencephalic tegmental afferents to VTA non-dopamine neurons are necessary for appetitive Pavlovian learning"
Yau, H., Wang, D.V., Tsou, J., Chuang, Y., Chen, B.T., Deisseroth, K., Ikemoto, S. & Bonci, A.
Cell Reports 16, 2699–2710 (2016)

"Mesopontine median raphe regulates hippocampal ripple oscillation and memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V., Yau, H., Broker, C.J., Tsou, J., Bonci, A. & Ikemoto, S.
Nature Neuroscience 18, 728-735 (2015)

"Phasic excitation of ventral tegmental dopamine neurons potentiates the initiation of conditioned approach behavior: parametric and reinforcement-schedule analyses"
Ilango, A., Kesner, A.J., Broker, C.J., Wang, D.V. & Ikemoto, S.
Front. Behav. Neurosci. 8:155 (2014)

"Convergent processing of both positive and negative motivational signals by the VTA dopamine neuronal populations"
Wang, D.V. & Tsien, J.Z.
PLoS One 6(2):e17047 (2011)

"Conjunctive processing of locomotor signals by the ventral tegmental area neuronal population"
Wang, D.V. & Tsien, J.Z.
PLoS One 6(1):e16528 (2011)

"Neurons in the amygdala with response-selectivity for anxiety in two ethologically based tests"
Wang, D.V., Wang, F., Liu, J., Zhang, L., Wang, Z. & Lin, L.
PLoS One 6(4):e18739 (2011)

"NMDA receptors in dopaminergic neurons are crucial for habit learning"
Wang, L.P., Li, F., Wang, D., Xie, K., Wang, D., Shen, X. & Tsien, J.Z.
Neuron 72:1055-1066 (2011)

"Neural encoding of the concept of nest in the mouse brain"
Lin, L., Chen, G., Kuang, H., Wang, D. & Tsien, J.Z.
PNAS 104 (14):6066-6071 (2007)

"Neural circuit dynamics underlying memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V.
Drexel University (2017)

"Hippocampal influence of anterior cingulate activity for memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V. & Ikemoto, S.
Society for Neuroscience 82.10 (2016)

"Hippocampal influence of anterior cingulate activity for memory consolidation. Gordon Research Conferences–Optogenetics Approaches to Understanding Neural Circuits & Behavior"
Wang, D.V. & Ikemoto, S.
Maine (2016)

"Mesopontine median raphe regulates hippocampal ripple oscillation and memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V. & Ikemoto, S.
Society for Neuroscience 626.27 (2015)

"Mesopontine median raphe regulates hippocampal ripple oscillation and memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V.
Director’s Report Meeting, NIDA/NIH (2015)

"Burst firing of VTA dopamine neurons in both reward and escape motivated jump behaviors"
Wang, D.V.
Gordon Research Conferences–Catecholamines, Maine (2015)

"Median raphe nucleus regulates hippocampal ripple oscillation and memory consolidation"
Wang, D.V., Yau, H., Broker, C.J., Tsou, J., Bonci, A. & Ikemoto, S.
HHMI Janelia Research Campus (2014)
Annual Meeting of the Greater Baltimore Chapter (2014)
Society for Neuroscience 559.17 (2014)

"Neural activity of nucleus accumbens induced by rewarding optogenetic stimulation of VTA dopamine neurons"
Wang, D.V., Broker, C.J. & Ikemoto, S.
Society for Neuroscience 289.07 (2013)

"Neural activity of nucleus accumbens induced by rewarding optogenetic stimulation of VTA dopamine neurons"
Wang, D.V.
NIH-Baltimore Fellows Symposium (2013)

"Hippocampal control of median raphe activity during ripple oscillation: A new circuit for memory consolidation process?"
Wang, D.V. & Ikemoto, S.
Society for Neuroscience 497.23 (2012)

"Burst excitation of the VTA dopamine neuron in both reward and escape motivated jumping behaviors
Wang, D.V. & Tsien, J.Z.
Society for Neuroscience 514.07 (2011)

"Convergent Processing of Both Positive and Negative Motivational Signals by the VTA Dopamine Neuron
Wang, D.V.
University of Lethbridge (2011)
Dopamine Neuron. NIDA/NIH (2010)

"Convergent processing of both positive and negative salience by VTA dopamine neuronal population"
Wang, D.V. & Tsien, J.Z.
Society for Neuroscience 916.6 (2010)

"Bidirectional encoding of the positive and negative salient signals by majority VTA dopamine neurons"
Wang, D.V. & Tsien, J.Z.
SENN - GA/SC Neuroscience Consortium (2010)

"Neural activity in the mouse basolateral amygdala relating to uncertainty and anxiety"
Wang, D.V. & Lin, L.
Society for Neuroscience 18.2 (2009)

"Fear representation by single neurons in the mouse amygdala"
Lin, L., Wang, D. & Liu, J.
Society for Neuroscience 193.4 (2008)

"Responses of amygdala neurons to different objects & environments"
Wang, D. & Lin, L.
The 6th Congress of the Federation of the Asian and Oceanian Physiological Societies (FAOPS), South Korea (2006)