Shuo Chen, PhD

Shuo Chen is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He received his undergraduate degree from Tsinghua University and completed his Ph.D. training in chemistry with Takuzo Aida and Itoh Yoshimitsu at the University of Tokyo. His strong interest in neuroscience stemmed from his graduate work in the design and synthesis of voltage-responsive molecular assemblies, which sparked his curiosity about how molecules generate logic and cognition in the brain. He subsequently embarked on a journey towards neuroscience with Thomas McHugh at RIKEN Center for Brain Science, investigating the circuit mechanisms of hippocampal-based learning and memory. Leveraging his chemistry background, he also developed molecularly tailored actuators for minimally invasive neuromodulation technologies. Supported by a NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) Award and co-mentored by Thomas Wisniewski, Arjun Masurkar, Zhe Sage Chen, and Gyorgy Buzsaki, Chen completed his postdoctoral training at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he investigated the circuit mechanisms underlying memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

The Chen lab, launched in 2024, focuses on elucidating how memory is encoded, retained, and retrieved within neural networks and molecules in the brain. The lab also investigates the circuit mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and develops circuit-targeting therapies. The Chen lab employs an integrative approach combining electrophysiology, imaging, behavior, genetic manipulations, omics, and computational modeling to record and manipulate neuronal and molecular activities with a goal to unravel neural mechanisms underlying memory processes. The lab also actively develops novel tools to address specific scientific questions through bioengineering, chemical synthesis, (nano)materials engineering, and electrical engineering. Shuo Chen has received support from NIH, the Human Frontier Science Program, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.