Mengyu Liu, is a postdoctoral scientist at Stanford University (Karl Deisseroth Lab; widely regarded as a founding figure in optogenetics). She earned her PhD from the California Institute of Technology under the mentorship of Dr. David J. Anderson and is currently a Helen Hay Whitney and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellow. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying female emotion and behavior. Her work, published in journals such as Nature and Neuron, has been featured as a Research Highlight in Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Her primary contributions include identifying neural circuits controlling female aggression and sexual behavior, and elucidating how hormonal states—such as lactation and the estrous cycle - modulate emotional shifts. Her accolades include the Rising Star in Neuroscience Award, the Dr. Nagendranath Reddy Award in Biological Sciences, an iGEM Gold Medal, and the National Scholarship. Beyond her research, she is a dancer of 22 years and is actively involved in science communication.