Christopher M. Fang-Yen

Education

• 2002: Ph. D. Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 1995: B.S. Physics and Mathematics (with honors and distinction), Stanford University

Research Experience

• 2010 - present : Caenorhabditis elegans neurobiology and behavior. Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania
• 2007 - 2010 : Caenorhabditis elegans neurobiology and behavior. Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (with Aravinthan D. T. Samuel)
• 2003 - 2007: Biomedical optics. Postdoctoral Associate, MIT (with Michael S. Feld and H. Sebastian Seung)
• 2002 - 2003: Laser physics and cavity quantum electrodynamics. Postdoctoral Associate, MIT (with Michael S. Feld)
• 1996 - 2002: Laser physics and cavity quantum electrodynamics. Ph. D. thesis work, MIT (with Michael S. Feld)
• 1993 - 1995: Phase transitions in 2-dimensional electron systems. Undergraduate research, Stanford University (with Mark I. Dykman)

Courses

• 2008: C. elegans Course, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• 2007: Neurobiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory

Honors and Awards

• 1998-2002 Lester Wolfe Fellowship
• 1995 Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford University
• 1994 Levine Award for outstanding scholarship in physics, Stanford University.
• 1991-1995 National Merit Scholarship
• 1991-1995 National Science Scholarship

Teaching experience

• Spring 2008, Spring 2009: Instructor for Laboratory in Engineering and Physical Biology (ES 224), Harvard University
• 1995 - 1996 Teaching Assistant for courses in Electromagnetism (8.07) and Statistical Physics (8.08), MIT
• 1993 - 1995 Resident Tutor for Physics and Mathematics, Toyon Hall, Stanford University
• 1992 - 1994 Mathematics Tutor for School of Engineering, Stanford University

Peer-reviewed publications

• A. Leifer*, C. Fang-Yen*, M. Gershow, M. Alkema, and A. D. T. Samuel, "Optogenetic manipulation of neural activity with high spatial resolution in freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans", Nature Methods, in press
• M. Kim, Y. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, Y. Sung, R. R. Dasari, M. S. Feld, and W. Choi, "High-speed synthetic aperture microscopy for live cell imaging", in press
• H. Ha, M. Hendricks, Y. Shen, C. V. Gabel, C. Fang-Yen, Y. Qin, D. Colon-Ramos, K. Shen, A. D. T. Samuel, and Y. Zhang, "Distinct neuronal circuits regulate aversive olfactory learning in Caenorhabditis elegans", Neuron, in press
• C. Fang-Yen, W. Choi, Y. Sung, C. J. Holbrow, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Video-rate tomographic phase microscopy", J. Biomed. Opt., in press
• C. Fang-Yen, M. Wyart, J. Xie, R. Kawai, T. Kodger, Q. Wen, and A. D. T. Samuel, "Biomechanical analysis of gait adaptation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans", Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 107, 20323-20328 (2010)
• W. Seo, H. Hong, M. Lee, Y. Song, Y. Chough, W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, R. R. Dasari, M. S. Feld, J. Lee, and K. An, "Realization of a bipolar atomic Solc filter in the cavity-QED microlaser", Phys. Rev. A 81, 053824 (2010)
• L. Luo, M. Gershow, M. Rosenzweig, K. Kang, C. Fang-Yen, P. Garrity, and A. D. T. Samuel, "Navigational decision-making in Drosophila thermotaxis", J. Neurosci. 30, 4261-4272 (2010)
• C. Fang-Yen, L. Avery, and A. D. T. Samuel, "Two size-selective mechanisms specifically trap bacteria-sized food particles in Caenorhabditis elegans" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 106 (47) 20093-20096 (2009)
• Z. Yaqoob, W. Choi, S. Oh, N. Lue, Y. Park, C. Fang-Yen, R. R. Dasari, K. Badizadegan, and M. S. Feld, "Improved phase sensitivity in spectral domain phase microscopy using line-field illumination and self phase-referencing" Optics Express 17, 10681-10687 (2009)
• H. Hong, W. Seo, M. Lee, Y. Song, W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, R. R. Dasari, M. S. Feld, J. Lee, and K. An, "Effects of coupled bichromatic atom-cavity interaction in the cavity-QED microlaser", Phys. Rev. A 79, 033816 (2009)
• Y. Sung, W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, K. Badizadegan, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Optical diffraction tomography for high resolution live cell imaging", Optics Express 17, 266-277 (2009)
• M. Zhang, S. H. Chung, C. Fang-Yen, C. Craig, R. A. Kerr, H. Suzuki, A. D. T. Samuel, E. Mazur, and W. R. Schafer, "A Self-Regulating Feed-Forward Circuit Controlling C. elegans Egg-Laying Behavior", Current Biology 18, 1445-1455 (2008)
• W. Choi, C. C. Yu, C. Fang-Yen, K. Badizadegan, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Field-based angle-resolved light scattering study of single live cells", Optics Letters 33, 1596-1598 (2008)
• W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, K. Badizadegan, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Extended depth of focus in tomographic phase microscopy using a propagation algorithm", Optics Letters 33, 171-173 (2008)
• C. Fang-Yen, M. Chu, H. S. Seung, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Phase-referenced probe interferometer for biological surface profiling and displacement measurements", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 123703 (2007)
• W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, K. Badizadegan, S. Oh, N. Lue, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Tomographic Phase Microscopy", Nature Methods 4, 717-719 (2007)
• C. Fang-Yen, S. Oh, Y. Park, W. Choi, S. Song, H. S. Seung, R. R. Dasari, M. S. Feld, "Imaging voltage-dependent cell motions with heterodyne Mach-Zehnder phase microscopy", Optics Letters 32, 1572-1574 (2007)
• C. C. Yu, C. Lau, J. Tunnell, M. Hunter, M. Kalashnikov, C. Fang-Yen, S. Fulghum, K. Badizadegan, R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Assessing Epithelial Cell Nuclear Morphology using Azimuthal Light Scattering Spectroscopy", Optics Letters 31, 3119-3121 (2006)
• C. Fang-Yen, "Quantum trajectory studies of many-atom and finite transit-time effects in a cavity QED microlaser or micromaser", Optics Communications 262, 224-228 (2006)
• C. Fang-Yen, C. C. Yu, S. Ha, W. Choi, K. An, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Observation of Multiple Thresholds in the Cavity QED Microlaser", Phys. Rev. A (Rapid Communications) 73, 041802 (2006)
• W. Choi, C. Fang-Yen, J. Lee, K. An, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Observation of Nonclassical Photon Statistics in the Cavity QED Microlaser", Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 093603 (2006)
• W. Choi, M. Lee, Y. Lee, C. Park, J. Lee, K. An, C. Fang-Yen, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Calibration of second-order correlation functions for non-stationary sources with a multi-start multi-stop time-to-digital converter", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 76, 083109 (2005)
• A. Ahn, C. Yang, A. Wax, G. Popescu, C. Fang-Yen, K. Badizadegan, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Harmonic phase dispersion microscope with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer", Applied Optics 44, 1188 (2005)
• C. Fang-Yen, M. Chu, H. S. Seung, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Non-contact measurement of nerve displacement during action potential with a dual-beam low coherence interferometer", Optics Letters 17, 2028 (2004)
• H. Iwai, C. Fang-Yen, G. Popescu, K. Badizadegan, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Quantitative phase imaging using actively stabilized phase shifting low-coherence interferometry", Optics Letters 29, 2399 (2004)
• K. An, B. A. Sones, C. Fang-Yen, R. R. Dasari, and M. S. Feld, "Optical bistability induced by mirror absorption: measurement of absorption coefficients in sub-ppm level", Optics Letters 22, pp. 1433-1435 (1997)
• C. Fang-Yen, M.I. Dykman, and M.J. Lea, "Internal forces in nondegenerate 2D electron systems", Phys. Rev. B 55, pp. 16272-79 (1997)
• M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, and M.J. Lea, "Many-electron transport in strongly correlated nondegenerate 2D electron systems", Phys. Rev. B 55, pp. 16249-71 (1997)
• M.J. Lea, P. Fozooni, A. Kristensen, P.J. Richardson, K. Djerfi, A. Santrich-Badal, M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, and A. Blackburn, "Magnetoconductivity of two-dimensional electrons on liquid helium: Experiments in the fluid phase", Phys. Rev. B 55 , pp. 16280 - 92 (1997)
• P. Fozooni, P.J. Richardson, M.J. Lea M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, and A. Blackburn, "Internal Forces and the Magnetoconductivity of a Nondegenerate 2D Electron Fluid", J. Phys C: Condensed Matter 8, L215 - L221 (1996)
• M.J. Lea, K. Djerfi, P. Fozooni, A. Kristensen, A. Santrich-Badal, A. Blackburn, M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, and P.J. Richardson, "Many-electron magnetoconductivity in 2D electrons on liquid helium", Surface Science 361 - 362 , p. 835 - 838 (1996)

Book Chapters

• C. Fang-Yen, C. V. Gabel, A. D. T. Samuel, C. I. Bargmann, and L. Avery, "Laser microsurgery in C. elegans" in Methods in Cell Biology: Caenorhabditis elegans: Modern Biological Analysis of an Organism, J. Rothman, ed., Elsevier Academic Press, in press
• C. Fang-Yen and M. S. Feld, "Intrinsic optical signals in neural tissues: measurements, mechanisms, and applications", in New Approaches in Biomedical Spectroscopy, K. Kneipp, R. Aroca, H. Kneipp, E. Wentrup-Byrne, eds., Oxford University Press (2007)

Other publications

• C. Fang-Yen, S. Wasserman, P. Sengupta, and A. D. T. Samuel, "Agarose immobilization of C. elegans", Worm Breeder's Gazette 18, 32 (2009)
• G. Popescu, C. Fang-Yen, L. Deflores, M. Chu, H. Iwai, M. Hunter, M. Kalashnikov, V. Backman, K. Badizadegan, C. Boone, G. Stoner, R. R. Dasari and M. S. Feld, "Seeing Small Biological Structures with Light", in Laser Spectroscopy - Proceedings of the XVI International Conference (ICOLS 2003), P. Hannaford, A. Sidorov, H. Bachor, and K. Baldwin eds., (World Scientific Publishing, Singapore) p. 375-382 (2003)
• C. Fang-Yen, "Multiple Thresholds and Many-Atom Dynamics in the Cavity QED Microlaser", Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2002)
• C.-C. Yu, C. Fang-Yen, A. Aljalal, R. R. Dasari, K. An, and M. S. Feld, "Single-Atom Laser", in McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology 2001 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001)
• A. Blackburn, K. Djerfi, M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, P. Fozooni, A. Kristensen, M.J. Lea, P.J. Richardson, A. Santrich-Badal, and R.W. van der Heijden, "Magnetotransport of 2D electrons on liquid helium in the fluid and solid phases", Invited papers of the International Conference on Low Temperature Physics LT-XXI Czech. J. of Phys. 46 p. 3056 - 3062 Suppl. S6 (1996)
• P.J. Richardson, K. Djerfi, P. Fozooni, M.J. Lea, A. Santrich-Badal, M.I. Dykman, C. Fang-Yen, and A. Blackburn, "Many-electron magnetoconductivity of 2D electrons on liquid helium", Czech. J. Phys. 46, p. 329-330 Suppl. 1 (1996)

Presentations

• "A biophysical approach to worm behavior", Mahoney Institute for Neurological Sciences Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, March 9, 2011
• "Spatiotemporal control of neural activity in freely moving C. elegans" (poster), Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, November 13, 2010
• "Optical dissection of worm behavior", Workshop on Emerging Techniques in Neuroscience, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California - Santa Barbara, November 8, 2010
• "Optical dissection of locomotory behavior in C. elegans", Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Medical Center, September 28, 2010
• "Optical spatiotemporal control of neural activity in freely moving animals", Gordon Conference on Lasers in Medicine and Biology, Holderness School, NH, July 25, 2010
• "Behavioral and optogenetic analysis of the C. elegans locomotory circuit", C. elegans Neuroscience Meeting, University of Wisconsin-Madison, June 27, 2010 (poster)
• "Optogenetic dissection of the C. elegans locomotory circuit", CSHL Neuronal Circuits, March 2010
• "Microfluidics and calcium imaging" and "How worms eat", lectures at C. elegans Course, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, August 24, 2009
• "How the pharynx works", poster, 17th International C. elegans Meeting, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, June 27, 2009
• "The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out: An analysis of C. elegans locomotory gaits", 17th International C. elegans Meeting, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, June 27, 2009
• "Locomotory transitions as a window into the C. elegans motor circuit", poster, LMU-Harvard Young Scientists Forum, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany, June 21, 2009
• "How Worms Squirm", Neural Circuits and Behavior in C. elegans II: Towards the Ultimate Model, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, March 10, 2009
• "How the Pharynx Works", poster, Neural Circuits and Behavior in C. elegans II: Towards the Ultimate Model, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, March 9, 2009
• "Reverse Engineering the Worm", Colloquium, Department of Physics, University of Maine, Orono, ME, Jan. 23, 2009
• "How Worms Eat", Squishy Physics Seminar, Harvard University, Sept. 3, 2008
• "Pharyngeal Filtering of Bacteria in Caenorhabditis elegans Analyzed by High Speed Video Microscopy", C. elegans Neuroscience Meeting, University of Wisconsin-Madison, June 30, 2008 (poster)
• "Interferometric imaging and tomography of living cells", Journal Club talk, Boston University, Boston, MA, August 8, 2007
• "Imaging Excitable Cells with Optical Interferometry", Seminar, Laboratory for Bio-Optics, Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, France, December 4, 2006.
• Gordon Research Conference on Lasers in Medicine and Biology, Meriden, New Hampshire, July 2006 (poster)
• "Neural Imaging with Optical Interferometry", Journal Club talk, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. June 5, 2006.
• "Biological imaging at the nanometer scale using optical interferometry", Hamamatsu Photonics, Hamamatsu, Japan. May 30, 2006.
• "Probe-Based and Bifocal Approaches for Phase-Referenced Low Coherence Interferometry", OSA Biomedical Optics Topical Meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 21, 2006
• "Differential Heterodyne Mach-Zehnder Interferometer for Measurement of Nanometer-Scale Motions in Living Cells", OSA Biomedical Optics Topical Meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, March 20, 2006
• "Biological imaging at the nanometer scale using optical interferometry", International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem), Honolulu, Hawaii. December 17, 2005.
• "Neural Imaging with Optical Interferometry", Seminar, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. May 13, 2005.
• "Low Coherence Interferometry for Measurement of Neural Signals". Seminar, Schlumberger-Doll Research Laboratories, Ridgefield, CT. February 16, 2005.
• Gordon Research Conference on Lasers in Medicine and Biology, Meriden, New Hampshire, July 4-9, 2004. "Interferometric Detection of Neural Signals: Listening to Neurons with Light" (poster)
• "Interferometric Detection of Neural Signals: Listening to Neurons with Light". Seminar, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts. May 27, 2004.
• "Neural interferometry: first non-contact measurements of action potential-induced nerve swelling". OSA Biomedical Optics / Optical Techniques in Neuroscience, Miami, Florida, April 14, 2004.
• "Low coherence interferometry for noninvasive monitoring of nerve signals". Lester Wolfe Workshop in Laser Biomedicine, "Neural Imaging with Optics", Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, April 13, 2004.
• "Interferometric Detection of Neural Signals: Listening to Neurons with Light". Spectroscopy Laboratory IAP Lecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, January 14, 2004.
• "Nonclassical Photon Statistics in the Microlaser". 34th Winter Colloquium on The Physics of Quantum Electronics, Snowbird, Utah, January 5, 2004.
• "Observation of Nonclassical Photon Statistics in the Cavity QED Microlaser". Optical Society of America Annual Meeting, Tucson AZ, October 2003.
• "Multiple Thresholds and Nonclassical Photon Statistics in the Cavity QED Microlaser". APS Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Conference (DAMOP), Boulder, Colorado, May 22, 2003.
• International Conference on Atomic Physics, MIT, Cambridge Massachusetts, July 28 - August 2, 2002. "Multiple Thresholds in the Microlaser" (poster)
• "Multiple Thresholds in the Microlaser". Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (CLEO/QELS), Long Beach California, May 2002.
• "Multiple Thresholds in the Microlaser". 32nd Winter Colloquium on The Physics of Quantum Electronics, Snowbird, Utah, January 8, 2002.
• "Many Atom Dynamics and Multiple Thresholds in the Cavity QED Microlaser". Modern Optics and Spectroscopy Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 4, 2001.
• "Bistability and Many-Atom Dynamics in the Cavity QED Microlaser". Condensed Matter Physics Seminar, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, October 19, 2001.
• "The many-atom microlaser and second-order coherence". Workshop on Quantum Optics, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, July 30 - August 4, 2000 (with A. Aljalal)
• "Nonclassical Behavior of the Microlaser". Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics (ITAMP) Workshop on Physics and Applications of Slow Light, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge Massachusetts, April 3-5, 2000.
• "Fluctuational Electric Field and Many-Electron Magnetotransport in a Nondegenerate 2D Electron System". March Meeting of the American Physical Society, San Jose, California, March 23, 1995.