Yali Huang, Ph.D.

Yali Huang, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist

Mary & Mark Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

I study the human brain through medical imaging. With more than 15 years of experience in medical image analysis and signal processing, my work focuses on functional MRI of brain white matter and its applications to brain development and disease, with first-author publications in NeuroImage, PNAS, and Nature Communications.

Email Google Scholar Curriculum Vitae

Research

My research applies digital signal processing, machine learning, and neuroimaging to understand how the brain is organized and how it develops. A central thread is the detection and characterization of functional signals in white matter, a domain long thought to be silent in fMRI.

White-matter fMRI

Voxel-wise and ICA-based detection of functional networks in white matter, validated against intracranial electrophysiology (SEEG).

Brain Development

How maternal health during pregnancy — weight, diet, activity, and mental health — shapes infant and children's brain development via fMRI and dMRI.

Medical Image Analysis

Segmentation, tracking, and feature extraction for microscopy and ultrasound using active contour models, optical flow, and multi-scale transforms.

Methods & Tools

Time-, frequency-, and spatial-domain analysis of 2–4D signals; MATLAB, Python, R, FSL, ANTs, and deep learning on HPC platforms.

Publications

Selected and complete list below. See Google Scholar for citations and the latest updates.

Journal Articles

  1. 2026
    Yali Huang, X. Na, L. Larson-Prior, X. Ou Body weight-related alterations in white matter functional connectivity in children: An fMRI study. BMC Neurology, 26(1), 245. [PDF]
  2. 2025
    Yali Huang, T.R. Koscik, A. Andres, J. Bellando, C.M. Glasier, A. Ram, X. Ou Relationships Between Body Composition and Mental Health During Pregnancy Are Moderated by Physical Activity and Diet. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [PDF]
  3. 2025
    Yali Huang, T.R. Koscik, A. Andres, J. Bellando, C.M. Glasier, A. Ram, X. Ou Brain White Matter Development in 8-year-old Children Is Associated with Maternal Mental Health during Pregnancy. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19:1603022. [PDF]
  4. 2024
    Yali Huang, C.M. Glasier, X. Na, X. Ou White matter functional networks in the developing brain. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 18:1467446. [PDF]
  5. 2023
    Yali Huang, P. Wei, L. Xu, D. Chen, Y. Yang, W. Song, Y. Yi, X. Jia, G. Wu, Q. Fan, Z. Cui, G. Zhao Intracranial electrophysiological and structural basis of BOLD functional connectivity in human brain white matter. Nature Communications, 14, 3414. [PDF]
  6. 2020
    Yali Huang, Y. Yang, L. Hao, X. Hu, P. Wang, Z. Ding, J. Gao, J. Gore Detection of Functional Networks within White Matter Using Independent Component Analysis. NeuroImage, 117278. [PDF]
  7. 2020
    Yali Huang, X. Hu, L. Hao, Y. Gao, Z. Liu, P. Wang Quantitative Analysis of Cell Morphology Based on the Contourlet Transform. IET Image Processing, 14: 2826-2832. [PDF]
  8. 2019
    J.C. Gore, M. Li, Y. Gao, T.-L. Wu, K.G. Schilling, Yali Huang, A. Mishra, A.T. Newton, B.P. Rogers, L.M. Chen, A.W. Anderson, Z. Ding Functional MRI and resting state connectivity in white matter — a mini-review. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 63: 1-11. [PDF]
  9. 2018
    Yali Huang, S.K. Bailey, P. Wang, L.E. Cutting, J.C. Gore, Z. Ding Voxel-wise detection of functional networks in white matter. NeuroImage, 183: 544-552. [PDF]
  10. 2018
    Z. Ding, Yali Huang, S.K. Bailey, Y. Gao, L.E. Cutting, B.P. Rogers, A.T. Newton, J.C. Gore Detection of synchronous brain activity in white matter tracts at rest and under functional loading. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115: 595-600. [PDF]
  11. 2017
    Yali Huang, L. Hao, H. Li, Z. Liu, P. Wang Quantitative Analysis of Intracellular Motility Based on Optical Flow Model. Journal of Healthcare Engineering. [PDF]
  12. 2015
    Yali Huang, Z. Liu, Y. Shi Quantitative analysis of live lymphocyte morphology and intracellular motion in microscopic images. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 18: 195-203. [PDF]
  13. 2015
    Yali Huang, Z. Liu Segmentation and Tracking of Lymphocytes Based on Modified Active Contour Models in Phase Contrast Microscopy Images. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, Article ID 693484. [PDF]
  14. 2015
    H. Li, Z. Liu, Yali Huang, et al. Quaternion generic Fourier descriptor for color object recognition. Pattern Recognition, 48(12): 3895-3903. [PDF]
  15. 2013
    Yali Huang, Z. Liu, Z. Zhao Enhancement of Ultrasonic Liver Images Based on Multi-Scale Retinex Model (in Chinese). Journal of Data Acquisition and Processing, 28(05): 597-601. [PDF]
  16. 2012
    Yali Huang, Y. Gao, H. Wang, D. Hao, J. Zhao, Z. Zhao Enhancement of Ultrasonic Image Based on the Multi-Scale Retinex Theory. Recent Advances in Computer Science and Information Engineering (LNEE), 128: 115-120. [PDF]
  17. 2005
    Yali Huang, F. Li, R. Zhang Fatty liver ultrasonic image recognition based on wavelet transformation (in Chinese). China Journal of Medical Imaging Technology, 21(11): 1761-1763. [PDF]
  18. 2004
    Yali Huang, F. Li, Z. Zhao Experimental study of texture feature extraction methods of ultrasonic liver imaging (in Chinese). China Journal of Medical Imaging Technology, 20(12): 1937-1939. [PDF]

Conference Papers

  1. 2024
    Yali Huang, et al. Functional connectivity changes across the whole brain in newborns and children. OHBM (Organization for Human Brain Mapping).
  2. 2024
    Yali Huang, et al. Association between fALFF of white matter and postmenstrual age in newborns. OHBM (Organization for Human Brain Mapping).
  3. 2018
    Yali Huang, et al. Detection of Functional Activation in White Matter Based on Voxel-wise Frequency Analysis. 6th Biennial Conference on Resting State and Brain Connectivity, Quebec, Canada.
  4. 2013
    Yali Huang, et al. Quantitative Analysis of Lymphocytes Morphology and Motion in Intravital Microscopic Images. 35th Annual Int. Conf. of the IEEE EMBS, 3686-3689. [PDF]
  5. 2010
    Yali Huang, et al. Texture analysis of ultrasonic liver images based on spatial domain methods. 3rd Int. Congress on Image and Signal Processing, 562-565. [PDF]
  6. 2008
    Yali Huang, et al. Texture analysis of ultrasonic liver image based on wavelet transform and Probabilistic Neural Network. Int. Conf. on Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, 248-252. [PDF]

Contact

I welcome collaborations and conversations on brain imaging, white-matter function, and brain development.