Publications
# co-first author; * corresponding author
AI Agents in Human Social Decision-Making: A Framework from Social Inference to Social Action.
Y Yin#, G Yu#, Jiaqi Pan & L Zhu*. Cognitive Science Research. 2026 [认知科学进展公众号]
Cortical knowledge structures guide word concept learning.
G Zhang, X Wang, D Zhang, S Xin, L Zhu* & Y Bi* Nat Communications. 2026 [北大脑科学]
Eliciting Trustworthiness Priors of Large Language Models via Economic Games.
S Yan, L Zhu, & J Zhu. Proceedings of the 48th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. 2026
Distinct patterns of social contagion under risk and ambiguity.
D Pan, Q Mi*, J Zhang, L Zhu, J Li*. Communication Psychology, 2026
F Yang#, N Liu#, Y Jiang*. & L Zhu*. Journal of Neuroscience. 2026 [北大脑科学]
V Liu, K Zhuo, J Fu, L Zheng, I Wang, M Wang, Y Du, L Zuo, C Zhong, L Zhu, Z Yuan, X Zhang*, H Song*. Cell Reports. 2026
The Abstraction and Generalization of Social Decision Information.
H Wang, Y Dong, N Liu, L Zhu*. Journal of Psychological Science 心理科学. 2025
S Lee*, R Niu, L Zhu*, A Kayser*, M Hsu*. PNAS, 2024 [北大脑科学]
Neurocomputational mechanism of real-time distributed learning on social networks
Y Jiang, Q Mi, L Zhu*. Nature Neuroscience 2023. [research briefing by Nat Neuro][北大脑科学]
Neurocomputations of strategic behavior: From iterated to novel interactions
Y Jiang#, H.T. Wu#, Q Mi, L Zhu*. WIREs Cognitive Science 2022
V Brown, L Zhu, A Solway, J Wang, K McCurry, B King-Casas*, P Chiu*. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021
Q Mi, C Wang, C F. Camerer, L Zhu*. Science Advances. 2021
Patients with basal ganglia damage show preserved learning in an economic game
L Zhu*, Y Jiang, D Scabini, RT. Knight, M Hsu*, Nature Communications. 2019.
Promoting subjective preferences in simple economic choices during nap
S Ai#, Y Yin#, Y Chen, C Wang, Y Sun, X Tang, L Lu, L Zhu*, J Shi*. eLife. 2018. [中央人民广播电台］
Predicting human behavior toward members of different social groups
AC Jenkins, P Karashchuk, L Zhu, M Hsu*. PNAS. 2018. [ScienceDaily]
Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder.
VM Brown, L Zhu, JM Wang, BC Frueh, B King-Casas*, PH Chiu*. eLife. 2018. [ScienceDaily][eLife Podcast]
JM Wang, L Zhu, VM Brown, V, R De La Garza II, T Newton, B King-Casas*, PH Chiu*. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. 2018
Gao, X#., Yu, H.#, Sáez, I., Blue, P. R., Zhu., L., Hsu, M., Zhou, X*. PNAS. 2018
Gao X, Liu J, Gong P, Wang J, Fang W, Yan H, Zhu L, Zhou X*. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2017
Cognitive neuroscience of honesty and deception: a signaling framework
CA Jenkins, L Zhu*, M Hsu*. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 2016.
Dopamine modulates egalitarian behavior In humans
I Saez, L Zhu, E Set, A Kayser, M Hsu*. Current Biology, 2015. [Time][The Independent]
Damage to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex affects tradeoffs between honesty and self-interest
L Zhu, AC Jenkins, E Set, D Scabini, R Knight, P Chiu, B King-Casas, and Ming Hsu*. Nature Neuroscience, 2014.[Huffington Post][新华社][PsychCentral]
Dissociable contribution of prefrontal and striatal dopaminergic genes to learning in economic games
E Set, I Saez, L Zhu, D Houser, N Myung, S Zhong, RP Ebstein*, SH Chew*, and M Hsu*. PNAS, 2014. [ABC Online][Daily Mail]
Commentary on Ambiguous Decisions in the Human Brain
M Hsu, L Zhu. In Tom Zentall and Phil Crowley, eds. Comparative Decision Making, 2013.
L Zhu, K Mathewson, M Hsu*. PNAS, 2012.[Science Daily][和讯财经新闻］
Learning in games: neural computations underlying strategic learning
M Hsu, L Zhu, Louvain Economic Review, 2012.
Neuroeconomic measures of social decision-making across the lifespan
Lusha Zhu, Daniel Walsh, and Ming Hsu*. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2012.
Research Support
Interpersonal Alignment and Differentiation of Abstract Representations in Social Decision-Making, NSFC, 32441104, 2025-2027,
Complex Network Mechanisms underlying the emergence of biological and collective intelligence, NSFC, Grant for innovative research group, T2421004, 2025-2029, Co-PI (PI: Fang Fang),
Cognitive and neurocomputational mechanism of social decision-making, NSFC Distinguished Young Scholar Grant, 32325023, 2024-2028, PI,
Neural mechanisms of social decision-making. STI2030-Major-2022ZD0205104, 2022-2027, Project PI
Neurocognitive mechanisms of learning on social networks. NSFC, 32071095, 2021-2024, PI
Decision biases: understanding, prediction, and intervention. CMC-CST, 2017-2019, PI
From reinforcement to social learning: cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying social learning. NSFC, 31671171, 2017-2020, PI
Talent program of young scientists, COD, 2017-2020, PI
The generation and implication of social-moral emotion: A reinforcement perspective. NSFC, 31630034, 2017-2021, Co-I (PI: Xiaolin Zhou)