Details of the Researcher

PHOTO

Sun Sai
Section
Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Job title
Assistant Professor
Degree
  • Ph.D.(South China Normal University)

e-Rad No.
90901869
Researcher ID

Research History 2

  • 2020/11 - Present
    Tohoku University Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences Assistant Professor

  • 2017/11 - 2020/04
    California Institute of Technology Biology and Biological Engineering

Education 1

  • South China Normal University Psychology

    2011/09 - 2017/06

Professional Memberships 6

  • Japanese Neuroscience Society

    2019 - 2023

  • Society for Social Neuroscience

    2024/03 -

  • Society for Neuroscience

    2023/11 -

  • Society for Neuroeconomics

    2023/10 -

  • Vision Science Society

    2022 -

  • Organization of Human Brain Mapping

    2021/06 -

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Research Interests 5

  • Computational modeling

  • Psychophysics

  • Neuroeconomics

  • Social Neuroscience

  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Research Areas 3

  • Life sciences / Neuropathology /

  • Life sciences / Basic brain sciences /

  • Life sciences / Cognitive neuroscience /

Awards 6

  1. Excellent Young Researcher Award

    2023/04 Tohoku University ECEI

  2. Prominent Researcher

    2022/02 Tohoku University

  3. Best Poster Award in the 6th Ensemble Workshop for Early Career Researchers

    2021/02 Tohoku University Natural human tempo, its neural correlates, and their application for well-being

  4. Conference Exchange Travel Award (Japanese Neuroscience Society-Society for Neuroscience)

    2020/05 Japanese Neuroscience Society Natural human tempo and its neural correlates

  5. Conference Travel Award from Society of NeuroEconomics

    2019/10 Society of NeuroEconomics Behavioral and Neural Processing of Reward and Risk

  6. Travel award for S4SN and Chicago Neuroimaging workshop

    2015/11 National Science Foundation (United States)

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Papers 26

  1. Amygdala ablation reduces negative interpretation bias and improves post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms

    Tao Xie, Sanne J.H., van Rooij, Sai Sun, Noah K. Bryson, Phillip Demares, Haeorum Park, Luigi Maccotta, Shuo Wang, Peter Brunner, Jon T. Willie

    In submission under a top Neuroscience journal 2025

  2. Neural correlates of evidence accumulation in social-affective decision-making under perceptual ambiguity

    Sai Sun, Tao Xie, Yibei Chen, Jinge Wang, Xin Li, Rongjun Yu, Peter Brunner, Jon T. Willie, Shuo Wang, Hongbo Yu

    https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.24.660932 2025

    DOI: 10.1101/2025.06.24.660932  

  3. Contextual incongruency selectively modulates reward and emotion sensitivity.

    Junjing Wang, Yi Zhang, Sai Sun

    In review under a major Neuroscience journal 2024/10

  4. Implicit encoding of social trait perceptions: modeling eye-gaze, pupillary, and neuronal responses to faces

    Anqi Mao, Runnan Cao, Sai Sun, Shuo Wang, DongWon Oh, Anqi Mao

    PsyArXiv Preprint (In review under a top psychology journal) 2024/07

  5. Natural finger-tapping tempo reflects intrinsic neuropsychological characteristics

    Sai Sun, Daw-An Wu, Mohammad Shehata, Takuya Akashi, Morimichi Furudate, Chao Zhang, Ken-Ichiro Tsutsui, Satoshi Shioiri, Shinsuke Shimojo

    Research Square Preprint (In revision under a top neuroscience Journal) 2024/07

    DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4580693/v1  

  6. Commonality of neuronal coherence for motor skill acquisition and interlimb transfer Peer-reviewed

    Zhao, J., Wang, YF, Hou, DZ, Sun, S, C, Négyesi, J., Inada, H., Shioiri., S., Nagatomi, R.

    Scientific Reports 2024

    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-11943-6  

  7. Multimodal investigations of emotional face processing and social trait judgement of faces Peer-reviewed

    Hongbo Yu, Chujun Lin, Sai Sun, Runnan Cao, Kohitij Kar, Shuo Wang

    Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2024/01

    DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15084  

  8. A uniform human multimodal dataset for emotion perception and judgment Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Runnan Cao, Ueli Rutishauser, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    Scientific Data 10 (773) 2023/11/07

    DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02693-z  

  9. Functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex underlies processing of emotion ambiguity Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    Translational Psychiatry 13 (334) 2023/10/28

    DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02625-w  

  10. Cognitive and neural bases of visual-context-guided decision-making Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Shuo Wang, Rongjun Yu

    Neuroimage 2023/07/15

    DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120170  

  11. Breakdown of intention-based outcome evaluation after transient right temporoparietal junction deactivation Peer-reviewed

    Junfeng Zhang, Sai Sun, Chengyan Zhou, Yaochun Cai, Hao Liu, Zhaoyang Yang, Rongjun Yu

    Scientific Reports 13 (1259) 2023/01/23

    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28293-w  

  12. Reduced pupil oscillation during facial emotion judgment in people with autism spectrum disorder Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Paula J. Webster, Yu Wang, Hongbo Yu, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2022/12/18

    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

    DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05478-2  

    ISSN: 0162-3257

    eISSN: 1573-3432

  13. Behavioral and neural representation of expected reward and risk Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Chuhua Cai, RongjunYu

    Neuroimage 264 2022/12

    DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119731  

  14. Domain-specific neural substrates underlie the framing effect Peer-reviewed

    Sai Sun, Jianping Hu, Rongjun Yu

    Neuroimage: Reports 2 (4) 100119-100119 2022/12

    Publisher: Elsevier BV

    DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100119  

    ISSN: 2666-9560

  15. Handedness did not affect motor skill acquisition by the dominant hand or interlimb transfer to the non-dominant hand regardless of task complexity level. International-journal Peer-reviewed

    János Négyesi, Péter Négyesi, Tibor Hortobágyi, Sai Sun, Joji Kusuyama, Rita M Kiss, Ryoichi Nagatomi

    Scientific reports 12 (1) 18181-18181 2022/10/28

    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21962-2  

    More details Close

    Patients undergoing unilateral orthopedic or neurological rehabilitation have different levels of impairments in the right- or left-dominant hand. However, how handedness and the complexity of the motor task affect motor skill acquisition and its interlimb transfer remains unknown. In the present study, participants performed finger key presses on a numeric keypad at 4 levels of sequence complexities with each hand in a randomized order. Furthermore, they also performed motor sequence practice with the dominant hand to determine its effect on accuracy, reaction time, and movement time. The NASA-TLX at the end of each block of both testing and practice was used to confirm participants' mental workload related to sequence complexity. Both right- and left-handed participants performed the motor sequence task with faster RT when using their right hand. Although participants had increasing RT with increasing sequence complexity, this association was unrelated to handedness. Motor sequence practice produced motor skill acquisition and interlimb transfer indicated by a decreased RT, however, these changes were independent of handedness. Higher sequence complexity was still associated with longer RT after the practice, moreover, both right- and left-handed participants' RT increased with the same magnitude with the increase in sequence complexity. Similar behavioral pattern was observed in MT as in RT. Overall, our RT results may indicate left-hemisphere specialization for motor sequencing tasks, however, neuroimaging studies are needed to support these findings. On the other hand, handedness did not affect motor skill acquisition by the dominant hand or interlimb transfer to the non-dominant hand regardless of task complexity level.

  16. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't: Neural processing of risk and ambiguity Peer-reviewed

    Shuyi Wu, Sai Sun, Julia A.Camilleri, Simon B.Eickhoff, Rongjun Yu

    Neuroimage 236 2021/08

    DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118109  

    ISSN: 1053-8119

    eISSN: 1095-9572

  17. The neural basis of feedback-guided behavioral adjustment Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Wang, S.

    Neuroscience Letters 736 1-6 2020/09/25

    DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135243  

    ISSN: 0304-3940

    eISSN: 1872-7972

  18. Outcome saliency modulates behavioral decision switching Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Yu, R., Wang, S.

    Scientific Reports 10 (1) 1-12 2020/08/31

    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71182-9  

    eISSN: 2045-2322

  19. The Confidence Database Peer-reviewed

    Rahnev, D., Desender, K., Lee, A.L.F., Adler, W.T., Aguilar-Lleyda, D., Akdoğan, B., Arbuzova, P., Atlas, L.Y., Balcı, F., Bang, J.W., Bègue, I., Birney, D.P., Brady, T.F., Calder-Travis, J., Chetverikov, A., Clark, T.K., Davranche, K., Denison, R.N., Dildine, T.C., Double, K.S., Duyan, Y.A., Faivre, N., Fallow, K., Filevich, E., Gajdos, T., Gallagher, R.M., de Gardelle, V., Gherman, S., Haddara, N., Hainguerlot, M., Hsu, T.-Y., Hu, X., Iturrate, I., Jaquiery, M., Kantner, J., Koculak, M., Konishi, M., Koß, C., Kvam, P.D., Kwok, S.C., Lebreton, M., Lempert, K.M., Ming Lo, C., Luo, L., Maniscalco, B., Martin, A., Massoni, S., Matthews, J., Mazancieux, A., Merfeld, D.M., O’Hora, D., Palser, E.R., Paulewicz, B., Pereira, M., Peters, C., Philiastides, M.G., Pfuhl, G., Prieto, F., Rausch, M., Recht, S., Reyes, G., Rouault, M., Sackur, J., Sadeghi, S., Samaha, J., Seow, T.X.F., Shekhar, M., Sherman, M.T., Siedlecka, M., Skóra, Z., Song, C., Soto, D., Sun, S., van Boxtel, J.J.A., Wang, S., Weidemann, C.T., Weindel, G., Wierzchoń, M., Xu, X., Ye, Q., Yeon, J., Zou, F., Zylberberg, A.

    Nature Human Behaviour 4 (3) 317-325 2020/02/03

    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-019-0813-1  

    eISSN: 2397-3374

  20. A neural signature encoding decisions under perceptual ambiguity Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Yu, R., Wang, S.

    eNeuro 4 (6) 2017/11/14

    DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0235-17.2017  

    eISSN: 2373-2822

  21. Decision ambiguity is mediated by a late positive potential originating from cingulate cortex Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Zhen, S., Fu, Z., Wu, D.-A., Shimojo, S., Adolphs, R., Yu, R., Wang, S.

    NeuroImage 157 400-414 2017/08/15

    DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.003  

    ISSN: 1053-8119

    eISSN: 1095-9572

  22. The human amygdala parametrically encodes the intensity of specific facial emotions and their categorical ambiguity Peer-reviewed

    Wang, S., Yu, R., Tyszka, J.M., Zhen, S., Kovach, C., Sun, S., Huang, Y., Hurlemann, R., Ross, I.B., Chung, J.M., Mamelak, A.N., Adolphs, R., Rutishauser, U.

    Nature Communications 8 2017/04/21

    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14821  

    eISSN: 2041-1723

  23. Social conformity persists at least one day in 6-year-old children Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Yu, R.

    Scientific Reports 6 2016/12/21

    DOI: 10.1038/srep39588  

    eISSN: 2045-2322

  24. Calm and smart? A selective review of meditation effects on decision making Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S, Yao, Z, Wei, J, Yu, R

    Frontiers in Psychology 6 1-11 2015/07/24

    DOI: 10.3389/FPSYG.2015.01059  

    eISSN: 1664-1078

  25. The feedback related negativity encodes both social rejection and explicit social expectancy violation Peer-reviewed

    Sun, S., Yu, R.

    Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 8 2014/07/29

    DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00556  

    eISSN: 1662-5161

  26. To Conform or Not to Conform: Spontaneous Conformity Diminishes the Sensitivity to Monetary Outcomes Peer-reviewed

    Yu, R., Sun, S.

    PLoS ONE 8 (5) 2013/05/17

    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064530  

    eISSN: 1932-6203

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Presentations 29

  1. A unified neural model in representing and modulating decision parameters underlying emotional ambiguity

    Sai Sun, Yibei Cheng, Jinge Wang, Xin Li, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang, Hongbo Yu

    Japanese neuroscience society 2025/07/25

  2. Reading the Body: Neural Representations of Emotion and Sociality in Naturalistic Human Motion

    Vision Science Society

    Vision Science Society 2025/05/17

  3. Symposium 1: From emotion to social interaction: New insights from direct brain recordings in humans Invited

    Speakers Shawn Rhoads, Icahn School of, Medicine, a, Mount Sinai, Salman Qasim, Rutgers University, Katherine Kabotyanski, Baylor College of Medicine, Sai Sun, Tohoku University

    Social & Affective Neuroscience Conference 2025/04/24

  4. A database of human body movements and perceived valence, arousal, and sociality

    Kiwa Tanaka, Miao Cheng, Sai Sun, Yuki Murai, Chia-huei Tseng

    Vision Society of Japan

  5. Natural finger tapping reflects intrinsic neuropsychological characteristics.

    Sai Sun et al

    Society for Neuroscience. 2024/10

  6. Task complexity- related neurophysiological dynamics underlying visuomotor skill learning and interlimb transfer.

    J. Zhao, Y. Wang, D. Hou, S. Sun, J. Négyesi, H. Inada, S. Shioiri, R. Nagatomi

    Society for Neuroscience. 2024/10

  7. Attention guides reward-based decision-making as measured by SSVEPs.

    D. Hou, S. Sun, S. Shioiri.

    Society for Neuroscience. 2024/10

  8. Exploring mechanisms of self-initiated attention shifts-analysis of theta wave.

    D. Hou, S. Sun, Y. Hatori, C. Tseng, S. Shioiri

    The 16th Asia Pacific Conference on Vision. 2024/07

  9. Circuit-specific mechanisms and regulation for emotion recognition

    Sai Sun et al

    Canadian Neuroscience Meeting 2024/05

  10. Circuit-specific mechanisms guiding precise neuromodulation aimed at enhancing social function Invited

    Sai Sun

    Southern Medical University 2024/04/12

  11. Neurotranslational research for empowering the mind/brain: Circuit- and frequency-specific mechanisms for guiding precise neuromodulation

    Sai Sun

    FRIS/TI-FRIS hub meeting 2024/03/28

  12. Circuit- and frequency-specific mechanisms for guiding precise neuromodulation Invited

    Sai Sun

    City University of Hong Kong 2024/03/20

  13. Functional connectivity in emotional ambiguity processing: a multimodality perspective and clinical implication

    Sai Sun et al

    Society for Social Neuroscience 2024/03

  14. Functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex underlies processing of emotion ambiguity

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    Society for Neuroscience 2023/11/15

  15. Functional connectivity in emotional ambiguity processing: a multimodality perspective and clinical implication

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    Society for Social Neuroscience 2023/11/03

  16. Cognitive and neural bases of salience-driven incidental learning

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Shuo Wang, Rongjun Yu

    Society For Neuroeconomics 2023/10/15

  17. Functional connectivity in emotional ambiguity processing: a multimodal perspective and clinical implication (Oral presentation)

    Sai Sun, Hongbo Yu, Rongjun Yu, Shuo Wang

    The Japan Neuroscience Society 2023/08/04

  18. State-Space Configuration of Intrinsic Motor and Cognitive Tempo (Oral presentation)

    Sai Sun, Chia-huei Tseng, Kexin Xiong, Yasuhiro Hatori, Shinsuke Shimojo, Shioiri Satoshi

    The Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences (ACP2023) 2023

  19. Neural circuitry mechanisms underlie social perception and decision and neurotherapeutic trials for social function improvement

    Sai Sun

    Guangzhou Medical University 2023/04

  20. Alpha-dependent oscillatory coupling accounts for the inter-individual difference in spontaneous motor tempo and context-dependent adaptative changes (Oral presentation)

    *Sai Sun, Satoshi Shioiri, Shinsuke Shimojo

    Japanese Neuroscience Society (Wakate Dojo: Sensory and Movement Themes) 2022/07/01

  21. Performance Generalization from Low-to-High Order Task (Poster presentation)

    Sai Sun

    Vision Science Society 2022/06/02

  22. Late positive potential as a neurophysiological marker of evidence accumulation in social and non-social categorization (Oral presentation)

    Hongbo Yu, Sai Sun, Jinge Wang, Xin Li, Shuo Wang

    Society For Neuroeconomics 2021/09

  23. Neural representation and prediction of natural motor tempo (Oral presentation)

    Sai Sun

    Japanese Neuroscience Society 2021/07

  24. High-density tDCS stimulation targeting the dACC improves ambiguity resolving among schizophrenia (Poster presentation)

    Sai Sun

    Organization for Human Brain Mapping 2021/06

  25. Deficits in emotional recognition and decision under ambiguity among schizophrenia and further intervention (Poster presentation)

    Sai Sun

    7th Ensemble Workshop for Early Career Researchers 2021/05/20

  26. Behavioral and attentional coding of expected reward and risk (Poster presentation)

    Sai Sun

    Vision Science Society 2021/05

  27. Natural human tempo and its neural correlates (Oral presentation)

    SUN Sai

    Japanese Neuroscience Society 2020/07/29

  28. Effects of facial attractiveness on product's attractiveness depends on visibility of face and sequence (Poster presentation)

    SUN Sai

    Vision Science Society 2020/05/20

  29. Behavioral and Neural Processing of Reward and Risk (Poster and Oral presentation)

    SUN Sai

    Soceity of NeuroEconomics 2019/10/06

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Research Projects 6

  1. Circuit-specific mechanisms underlying emotion recognition and social trait judgement

    Offer Organization: Tohoku Initiative for Fostering Global Researchers for Interdisciplinary Sciences (TI-FRIS)

    2023/04 - 2028/07

  2. Developing non-invasive and minimally invasive neuromodulation protocols in enhancing social function

    Offer Organization: Young leaders overseas program

    System: Young leaders overseas program

    Category: Young leaders overseas program

    2024/09 - 2025/09

  3. Personalized cognitive intervention via frequency-selective intrinsic alpha modulation

    Sai Sun

    Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

    System: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

    Category: Cognitive Neuroscience

    Institution: Tohoku university

    2022/04 - 2024/03

  4. Interaction between handedness, laterality, and task complexity: the effects and underlying mechanisms of a short-term unilateral sequence training on this interaction.

    NEGYESI Janos, SUN Sai, KUSUYAMA Joji, NAGATOMI Ryoichi

    Offer Organization: Program for Creation of Interdisciplinary Research

    2021/04 - 2023/03

  5. Constructing natural tempo representation map and database

    Sai Sun, Kexin Xiong, Chia-huei Tseng

    Offer Organization: Creative Interdisciplinary Collaboration Program

    Institution: Tohoku university

    2021/04 - 2023/03

  6. Assessing intrinsic brain variability via music-tuning spontaneous motor activity

    Sai Sun, Janos Negyesi

    Offer Organization: Ensemble Grants for Early Career Researchers

    Institution: Tohoku university

    2021/04 - 2022/03

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Teaching Experience 7

  1. Research co-supervision for PhD project: Personalized neuromodulation in enhancing motor function

  2. Research co-supervision for Undergraduate Thesis: How the Human Brain Encodes Emotion and Sociality from Bodily Motion?

  3. Research co-supervision for PhD thesis: Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Self-initiated Attention

  4. Doctoral dissertation supervision (Commonality of Neuronal Coherence for Visuomotor Skill Learning and Interlimb Transfer) Tohoku University (School of Medicine)

  5. Mentorship for Neuromatch Academy - Computational Neuroscience (3-week global courses)

  6. EEG basics (Lecture for Tohoku University B3 students) Tohoku University Research Institute of Electrical Communication

  7. Neural correlates of natural human tempo (Invited Lecture for undergraduate students) California Institute of Technology

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Media Coverage 1

  1. Media Enquiry from Hong Kong: gender equality in STEM in China

    South China Morning Post in Hong Kong South China Morning Post in Hong Kong

    2021/11

    Type: Newspaper, magazine

Academic Activities 9

  1. Peer review for Scientific Reports

    2024 - 2024

    Activity type: Scientific advice/Review

  2. Session Chair for the 13th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

    2023/04/02 - 2023/04/02

    Activity type: Other

  3. Peer Review for the 13th Asian Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences

    2023/01/25 - 2023/02/05

    Activity type: Academic society, research group, etc.

  4. Peer Review for Neurobiology of Stress Journal

    2022/02/01 - 2022/08/01

    Activity type: Peer review

  5. Peer review for the journal of npj aging and mechanisms of disease

    2024 -

    Activity type: Scientific advice/Review

  6. Peer review for the Scientific Data Journal

    2024 -

    Activity type: Peer review

  7. Peer review for the Cerebral Cortex Journal

    2024 -

    Activity type: Peer review

  8. Peer review for the Neuroimage Journal

    2024 -

    Activity type: Peer review

  9. Peer Review for Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Journal

    2022/12/13 -

    Activity type: Peer review

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