Josh Huang

Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience

We study the development and function of cortical circuits underlying motor control and cognitive processing. Our research program integrates multi-faceted approaches from genetic engineering to single-cell genomics, developmental neurobiology, imaging, electrophysiology, and behavioral analyses, and aims to link fundamental neuroscience to the understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.    

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience
  • Professor of Neurobiology
  • Professor of Cell Biology
  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Contact Information

  • Office Location: 311 Research Drive, Box 3209, Durham, NC 27710
  • Email Address: josh.huang@duke.edu
  • Websites:

Education

  • Ph.D. Brandeis University, 1995

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Elected Member. American Academy of Arts & Sciences. 2022

Courses Taught

  • NEUROSCI 494: Research Independent Study 2
  • NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
  • NEUROBIO 719: Concepts in Neuroscience I: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
  • EGR 393: Research Projects in Engineering
  • CMB 710E: Cell & Molecular Biology Module V
  • BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Li, Yi, X Hermione Xu, Shiyang Pan, Xu An, Patrick J. Mulcahey, Zixuan Qiu, Shengli Zhao, Nuo Li, John Pearson, and Z Josh Huang. “Motor Cortical Output Integrates Distorted Proprioceptive Feedback.,” November 13, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.11.11.687832.
  • Matthews, Elizabeth A., Jeffrey B. Russ, Yongjun Qian, Shengli Zhao, Peyton Thompson, Muhib Methani, Matthew Vestal, Z Josh Huang, and Derek Southwell. “RNA-programmable cell-type monitoring and manipulation in the human cortex with CellREADR.” Cell Rep 44, no. 8 (August 26, 2025): 116037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116037.
  • Huilgol, Dhananjay, Jesse M. Levine, William Galbavy, Bor-Shuen Wang, and Z Josh Huang. “Orderly specification and precise laminar deployment of mouse cortical projection neuron types through intermediate progenitors.” Dev Cell 60, no. 14 (July 21, 2025): 1947-1957.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2025.02.009.
  • Huang, Z Josh, Xu An, Yi Li, Katherine Matho, Hemanth Mohan, X Hermione Xu, Ian Whishaw, and Adam Kepecs. “A cortical circuit for orchestrating oromanual food manipulation.,” May 20, 2025. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2338599/v1.
  • Matthews, Elizabeth A., Jeffery B. Russ, Yongjun Qian, Shengli Zhao, Peyton Thompson, Muhib Methani, Matthew L. Vestal, Z Josh Huang, and Derek G. Southwell. “RNA-programmable cell type monitoring and manipulation in the human cortex with CellREADR.,” May 9, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.12.03.626590.