Principal Investigator
Address : State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience
and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research,
Beijing Normal University
19 Xinjiekou Wai Street,Beijing 100875, P.R.CHINA
E-mail：liuchao#bnu.edu.cn
EDUCATION
2005 – 2010 Ph.D., Psychology Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
2001 – 2004 M.S., Basic Psychology Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1997 – 2001 B.S., Computer Science Wuhan Polytechnic University
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2026 – present Research Fellow, Beijing Prospective Institute for AI Safety and Governance
2025 – present Deputy Director, Beijing Key Laboratory of AI Safety and Superalignment
2016 – present Principal Investigator, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University
2016 – present Professor, State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University
2010 – 2016 Research Fellow (Category 985), State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University
2004 – 2005 Research Assistant, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
RESEARCH GRANTS
Grants as Principal Investigator:
• NSFC Special Project, Social Emotion and Interaction Processes in Virtual Reality Environments: Cognitive Neural Computational Mechanisms of Altruistic Behavior and Their Application in AI (32441109), ¥1,040,000, Project Leader, 2025–2027
• NSFC General Project, Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Gratitude and Reciprocity Evaluation During Helping Interactions (32271092), ¥540,000, Project Leader, 2023–2026
• National Social Science Fund of China, Major Project, An Interdisciplinary Investigation of the Psychological, Neural, and Artificial Intelligence Characteristics of Chinese Moral Cognition and Emotion (19ZDA363), ¥800,000, Chief Expert, 2020–2023 (Completed; Rated Excellent)
• NSFC General Project, Neural Mechanisms and Development of Morality-Related Social Emotions (31871094), ¥620,000, Project Leader, 2019–2022 (Completed)
• National Key R&D Program of China, Special Project "Intelligent Monitoring and Early Warning Prevention Key Technology R&D and Demonstration in Custodial Settings," Sub-project: Multi-Strategy Objective Identification Techniques for Abnormal Psychology and Behavior (2017YFC0803402), ¥4,200,000, Sub-project Leader, 2017–2020 (Completed)
• Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, "Ten Thousand Talents Plan," Young Top-Notch Talent, Psychological and Neural Mechanisms of Moral Cognition in Chinese Populations, ¥550,000, Project Leader, 2015–2017 (Completed)
• National Social Science Fund of China, Major Project, Characteristics of Chinese Social Cognition: An Integrated Psychological and Brain Science Approach (12&ZD228), ¥800,000, Chief Expert, 2013–2017 (Completed)
• NSFC General Project, Neural Mechanisms of Kinship Representation: Development and Cross-Cultural Differences (31170971), ¥600,000, Project Leader, 2012–2015 (Completed)
Grants as Co-Investigator:
• Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Plan, Central-Guided Local Special Project "Superintelligence and Superalignment," Sub-project: Key Technology Research and Demonstration Application of Superalignment Based on External Supervision Alignment and Internal Mechanism Alignment (Z241100001324005), Total Funding: ¥10,000,000, Personal Share: ¥2,000,000, Task Leader, 2024–2026
• Ministry of Science and Technology, Science and Technology Innovation 2030—"Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence," Major Project Sub-project: Brain Network Foundations and Differentiation Mechanisms of Emotional and Social Skill Development (2021ZD0200535), Total Funding: ¥35,000,000, Personal Share: ¥4,000,000, Task Leader, 2021–2026
• NSFC Key Project, Cognitive Neural Computational Mechanisms Underlying the Emergence and Development of Anxiety Susceptibility (32130045), ¥2,800,000, Core Investigator, 2022–2026
• NSFC Key Project, Neurofeedback Based on Blood Oxygen Metabolism Signals: Key Theory and Technology (61431002), ¥3,000,000, Core Investigator, 2015–2019
• NSFC Major International Joint Research Project, Key Issues in Ubiquitous Psychological Intervention Based on Biofeedback (61210010), ¥2,700,000, Core Investigator, 2013–2017 (Completed)
• Ministry of Science and Technology, Young 973 Project, Brain Network Foundations of Human Conceptual Cognition (2013CB837300), ¥5,000,000, Core Investigator, 2013–2017 (Completed)
• Ministry of Science and Technology, 973 Sub-project, Characteristics and Interactions of Changes in Basic Cognitive Functions and Emotions in Aerospace Environments (2011CB711000), ¥3,600,000, Core Investigator, 2011–2015 (Completed)
HONORS AND AWARDS
2025 Leading Talent in Philosophy and Social Sciences, Ten Thousand Talents Plan
2021 Changjiang Young Scholar, Ministry of Education
2019 Invited Keynote Speaker, 22nd National Academic Congress of Psychology
2015 Young Top-Notch Talent, Ten Thousand Talents Plan
2012 Beijing Normal University Jingshi Talent Program
2012 Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Award, Third Prize — Mechanisms of Higher-Order Brain Function Regulation and Intervention (Ranked 3rd)
2009 American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award
2009 Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
2009 Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, University of Michigan (×2)
2009 Rackham International Research Award, University of Michigan
2009 Center for Chinese Studies Dissertation Fieldwork Fellowship, University of Michigan
2008 Roger W. Brown Memorial Award, University of Michigan
2008 Center for Chinese Studies Fieldwork Research Fellowship, University of Michigan
2006 International Institute Individual Fellowship, University of Michigan
2005 Rackham Graduate School Travel Grant, University of Michigan
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND SERVICE
2026 – present Deputy Director, Emotion and Health Psychology Committee, Chinese Psychological Society
2025 – present Council Member, Chinese Psychological Society
2024 – present Deputy Director (Preparatory), Mind and Machine Committee, Chinese Society for Modern Foreign Philosophy
2023 – present Deputy Director, Social Cognitive Science Division, Chinese Society for Cognitive Science
2026 – present Member, Mental Processes and Modeling Committee, Chinese Psychological Society
2025 – present Council Member, AI and Social Governance Division, Chinese Association of Social Psychology
2022 – present Council Member, AI Ethics and Governance Committee, Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence
2017 – present Council Member, Affective Intelligence Committee, Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence
2015 – present Council Member, Chinese Branch, International Society for Social Neuroscience
2025 – present Expert Member, International AI Development and Governance Research Network (AIR Net)
2010 – present Associate, Behavioral and Brain Sciences
2026 – present Associate Editor, Acta Psychologica Sinica
2021 – present Editorial Board Member, Advances in Psychological Science
2017 – present Associate Editor, Frontiers in Decision Neuroscience
2023 – present Editorial Board Member, Brain Sciences
Additional Professional Memberships:
Human Brain Mapping Society; American Psychological Association; Society for Cognitive Neuroscience; Society for Social Neuroscience
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