Biography

My name is Yu-Chieh David Chen and I am an incoming assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Temple University. I was fortunate to find out what I wanted to do with my life when I was a high school student: work in an area of scientific research while teaching students to pursue their own dreams in this area. I have two motivations: my personal interest in a fulfilling career, and a desire to do work that will have benefits for others. I received both my BS and MS degrees at National Taiwan University (NTU), known as the top post-secondary school in Taiwan. At NTU I completed a double major in Life Science (in which I graduated top of my class) and Entomology. I then gained further research training by getting my MS degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at NTU before pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of California Riverside in the US. 

My strong academic background and great passion to scientific research prepares  me to pursue my career goal of being an independent researcher in the field of Neuroscience. My entomology background and my passion for sensory neurobiology is well aligned with the research conducted in Dr. Anupama Dahanukar’s lab at the UC Riverside, which concerns the molecular neurobiology of the insect taste system. My doctoral research has particularly focused on how internal pharyngeal taste neurons mediate insect feeding behaviors. I was able to identify different classes of pharyngeal taste neurons and manipulate them to understand whether they inform the fly to eat certain foods or to avoid them. Such genetic manipulation of neurons in insects has vast implications in curbing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and reducing crop damage by controlling the feeding behavior of mosquitoes and agricultural pests, respectively. During my graduate study, I collaborated with Dr. Michael Gordon at the University of British Columbia and Dr. William Ja at Scripps Florida for various projects. These opportunities helped me learn collaboration and networking skills and identify areas for refinement. 

As an international graduate student at UC Riverside, I am eligible for only a few fellowships. In 2016, I was fortunate to receive the HHMI international student research fellowship that has profound impacts on my independent scientific career by allowing me to focus on my dissertation without having to work as a teaching assistant, by granting me the freedom to test interesting scientific ideas that are more creative but risky, and by funding travel to scientific meetings to extend my professional network. In addition, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) organization provides a platform to meet experts from diverse fields, which will broaden my view and counteract the tendency to focus on a narrow area of research.

I did my postdoctoral training at New York University with Dr. Claude Desplan, who is studying visual system development in Drosophila. During my postdoctoral research, I used the Drosophila color vision circuit as a model to study the developmental mechanisms of coordination and propagation of cell fate choice during neural circuit assembly. In my own lab, I will leverage both the visual and gustatory systems in Drosophila to uncover fundamental principles of neural connectivity. By combining molecular genetics, single-cell genomics, fluorescence imaging, and connectomic approaches, I aim to advance our understanding of sensory circuit formation and plasticity. In addition to research, I am committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive training environment for students and trainees, preparing the next generation of scientists while contributing to the broader developmental biology community.

Education and Experience

2020.1 –2025.7 Postdoctoral associate, New York University, Department of Biology

2019.9 – 2019.12 Postdoctoral scholar, University of California, Riverside, Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology

2013.9 – 2019.9 (Ph.D. program completed: 2019.08.22); Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, Neuroscience; Thesis: Pharyngeal Taste in Drosophila – From Periphery to Brain [Link] [pdf]

2010.9 – 2012.1 M.Sc., National Taiwan University (NTU), Molecular and Cellular Biology; Thesis: The spatiotemporal expression patterns of synaptotagmin isoforms in the developing rat retina [Link]

2006.9 – 2010.6 B.Sc., National Taiwan University, Life Sciences and Entomology (Double major)

Funding

Current

  • 2024-2029 K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence Awards [Award number: K99EY035757] ($1,055,664)

Past

  • 2021-2024 F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award [Award number: F32EY032750] ($200,946)
  • 2023 Inaugural NYU Postdoctoral Research and Professional Development Support Grants ($2500) [pdf]
  • 2019 Dissertation Year Program Fellowship, UCR ($7200) [pdf]
  • 2016-2018 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Student Research Fellowship ($86,000)
    • I am one of the 20 fellows selected in 2016 among 344 students in 57 PhD-granting institutions in the US. [Media 1] [Media 2]
  • 2018 Dissertation Research Grant, UCR ($900)
  • 2016 Sigma XI Grants-in-Aid of Research ($700) [pdf, pg2]

Honors and Awards

2020-present (Postdoc in Claude Desplan’s lab at NYU)

  • 2024 Travel Award, 2024 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting ($500)
  • 2024 Professional Development Scholarship, Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Training, Columbia University ($497.5)
  • 2024 College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, NYU ($500) [Certificate] [NYU 2023-2024 College Teaching Award Winners poster]
    • The only Biology Department awardee among all 30 CAS departments since 2017.

2013-2019 (Ph.D. in Neuroscience at UCR)

  • 2019 Ernest Propes Endowed Graduate Fellowship, UCR ($600)
  • 2019 Gill Symposium Travel Award ($500) [pdf]
  • 2019 DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, Genetics Society of America ($1000) [Media 1] [pdf]
  • 2019 Earle C. Anthony Travel Award, UCR ($1000)
  • 2019 AChemS Meeting Childcare Grant ($480)
  • 2019 AChemS Meeting Student Travel Award ($400)
  • 2018 Gill Symposium Travel Award ($516.54) [pdf]
  • 2018 Yin Chin Scholarship, Yin Chin Foundation of USA ($10,000) [Media 1] [Media 2] [pdf]
  • 2018 International Scholarship, Phi Beta Kappa Alumni in Southern California ($2,000) [pdf, pg12] [pdf 2]
  • 2018 James Merrill and Adeline Wallace Annual Prize, UCR ($2,166)
  • 2017 Earle C. Anthony Travel Award, UCR ($500) (declined)
  • 2013 Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship Award, UCR

2011-2013 (M.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at NTU)

  • 2013 Admission Ph.D. Biology program in University of Pennsylvania
    • With full financial support (declined for studying at UCR)
  • 2013 Admission to Physiology Graduate Training Program in University of Wisconsin, Madison
    • With full financial support (declined for studying at UCR)
  • 2013 Admission to Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences in Washington University in St. Louis
    • With full financial support
( declined for studying at UCR)
  • 2013 Admission to both Ph.D. Neurobiology and Cell and Molecular Biology programs in Duke University
    • With international chancellor’s scholarship (declined for studying at UCR)
  • 2012 Poster Excellence, Professor Jung-Yaw Lin Academic Education Foundation, Taiwan
    • The only awardee with a master degree
  • 2012 Poster Excellence, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, NTU
    • The second place in the poster competition among 29 master students

2006-2010 (B.Sc. in Life Sciences and Entomology at NTU)

  • 2010 Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society Honorary Membership, Taiwan
    • Top 1% students in the College of Life Science for the excellent academic performance
  • 2010 Dean’s Award (top 10% in department), College of Life Sciences, NTU
    • Valedictorian and the first place in the graduating class
  • 2007 – 2010 Presidential Award (7 times), NTU
    • Top 5% students in the class for each semester
  • 2009 – 2010 Study Scholarship (twice), Department of Life Sciences, NTU

Invited Departmental seminars

  1. 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders in Neuroscience Seminar Series, Weill Cornell Medicine Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, April 4, 2025. [flyer 1] [flyer 2]
  2. 2025 Department of Biology Seminar, University of Toronto Mississauga, February 14, Canada. [Schedule] [flyer]
  3. 2025 Neuroscience Department External Seminar Series, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, January 16, Jupiter. [Reschedule from the original date October 8, 2024 due to Hurricane Milton] [flyer]
  4. 2024 BRITE (Bolstering Research through Inclusion, Talent and Excellence) Postdoctoral Research Seminar Series, Stony Brook University, December 19, 2024. [Schedule] [flyer] [X/Twitter]
  5. 2024-2025 Ethel Browne Harvey Postdoctoral Seminar Series, Society of Developmental Biology, November 8, online. [flyer] [Recording of 20 min talk] [SDB past seminar recordings]
  6. 2024 Department of Biological Sciences Seminar, Louisiana State University, October 21, Baton Rouge [flyer]
  7. 2024 Biology Department Seminar, Villanova University, September 26, Villanova. [flyer] [News highlighted by The Villanovan – The Student News Site of Villanova University, pdf]
  8. 2024 Department of Biology Seminar, College of Staten Island, City University of New York (CUNY), September 24, New York. [Schedule]
  9. 2024 Department of Biological Sciences Inga Richter Fall Seminar Series, Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), September 23, New York. [Schedule] [flyer]
  10. 2024 Biology Department Colloquium Series, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), September 18, New York. [flyer]
  11. 2024 Biology Department Seminar, University of New Mexico, September 12, Albuquerque. [flyer]
  12. 2024 Rising Stars in Cell and Developmental Biology Symposium, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, August 27-29, Champaign, IL. [flyer]
  13. 2024 Biology Spring Colloquium, The City College of New York (CCNY), March 18, New York.
  14. 2023 Department of Biology E2G2 Seminar Series, University of Rochester, November 3, Rochester. [flyer]
  15. 2023 Department of Biology Seminar Series, West Chester University, October 30, Chester County. [flyer]
  16. 2023 School of Life Sciences Friday Seminar Series, University of Nevada Las Vegas, October 20, Las Vegas. [Photo flyer]
  17. 2022 Biology Seminar Series, Bucknell University, October 20, Lewisburg.  [flyer]
  18. 2022 Graduate Neuroscience Program Seminar Series, UC Riverside, April 12, Riverside. [flyer]

Informal talks

  1. 2024 Brown University Fly Club (invited by Karla Kaun’s lab), September 16, Providence. 
  2. 2024 University of Pennsylvania (invited by Yun Ding’s lab), June 10, Philadelphia.
  3. 2024 Mini-workshop Neurobiology and Physiology in Drosophila, University of Tsukuba, February 26, Tsukuba, Japan. [flyer] [Group photo 1] [Group photo 2]
  4. 2023 Duke Fly Club Seminar, Duke University, March 28, Durham. [flyer]
  5. 2022 Minisymposium in Developmental Neurobiology, University of Chicago, March 1, Chicago. [flyer]

Conference Oral Presentations

  1. 2023 8th Annual Boston Area Drosophila Meeting, May 21th, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.[pdf]
  2. 2024 Asia Pacific Drosophila Neurobiology Conference 3 (APDNC3), February 27-March 1, Tokyo, Japan. [pdf] [Photo 1] [Photo 2]
  3. 2023 7th Annual Boston Area Drosophila Meeting, June 14th, Brandeis University, Massachusetts. [pdf]
  4. 2023 Annual Drosophila Research Conference, March 1- 5, Chicago. [Recording of 15 min oral talk]
  5. 2019 Genetics Society of America Early Career Scientist Seminar Series, November 21, Webinar. [Webinar announcement] [flyer]
  6. 2019 Gill Travel Fellowship Recipient Presentation, September 26, Bloomington. [Seminar announcement] [pdf]
  7. 2019 Southern California Drosophila Conference, September 6, Irvine. [Schedule of speakers]
  8. 2019 Annual Drosophila Research Conference, March 27- 31, Dallas.
  9. 2016 The Allied Genetics Conference, July 13 -17, Orlando.
  10. 2016 International symposium on olfaction and taste, June 5-9, Yokohama, Japan.

Conference Poster Presentations

  1. 2024 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting, August 23-27, Santa Cruz.
  2. 2023 Neurobiology of Drosophila Meeting, October 3-7, New York.
  3. 2022 Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Connectivity Meeting, September 13-17, New York. [Poster award 9 out of ~100 posters]
  4. 2022 Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 6-10, San Diego.
  5. 2021 Neurobiology of Drosophila Meeting (Virtual), October 5-8.
  6. 2019 Neurobiology of Drosophila Meeting, October 1-5, New York.
  7. 2019 Gill symposium: Sex Differences in the Brain, September 25, Bloomington.
  8. 2019 Southern California Drosophila Conference, September 6, Irvine.
  9. 2019 AChemS meeting, April 14- 17, Bonita Springs. (Don Tucker award finalist)
  10. 2019 Keystone Symposia- Mammalian Sensory Systems, March 15-19, Seattle.
  11. 2018 Gill symposium: Applying Cutting-Edge Technologies to Identifying Neuronal Circuits, September 26, Bloomington.
  12. 2018 Janelia conference: Neuro-Evo: A Comparative Approach to Cracking Circuit Function II, May 6- 9, Ashburn.
  13. 2017 Neurobiology of Drosophila Meeting, October 3-7, New York.
  14. 2017 European Drosophila Research Conference, September 22- 25, London, UK.
  15. 2017 Janelia conference: Cell Biology of Neurons and Circuits, September 17- 20, Ashburn.
  16. 2015 Neurobiology of Drosophila Meeting, September 29-October 3, New York.
  17. 2012 Ninth Asian Joint and Eleventh Cross-Strait Symposium on Biomedical Research, June 28-29, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
  18. 2011 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, November 12-16, Washington DC. B43 232.05.

Outreach

  • 2024 Course instructor for Brain and Spine Scholars program for 8th-9th grade students, NYU [Thank you note] [Program website with speakers featured][Photo 1] [Photo 2]
  • 2023 Judge for Neuroscience discipline, 2023 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Phoenix, AZ [2023 Certificate]
  • 2022 Judge for Developmental Biology and Genetics discipline, 2022 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Anaheim, CA [2022 Certificate]
  • 2022/2023/2024 Course instructor for 10th-12th grade students, College & Career Lab, Neuroscience Outreach Group at NYU [Twitter]
  • 2022-Present Project SHORT (Students for Higher-Ed Opportunities and Representation in Training) pre-grad mentor [Link]
  • 2021 Judge for Developmental Biology and Genetics discipline, 2021 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), Virtual Conference [Certificate]
  • 2018 International Graduate Student Poster Fair, UCR
  • 2018 Judge, Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair, Riverside, CA
  • 2016 Entomology Outreach, 2nd Annual Riverside Insect Fair, Riverside Metropolitan Museum
  • 2015/2018/2019 Neuroscience Outreach, Brain Awareness Day, Booth Demonstration, UCR

Teaching

Mentoring 

New York University

  • 2023 – 2024, Angelina Fordjour
    • NYU Mitra Fellow [Link]  
    • NSF BIO REU Travel Fellowship for 2024 TAGC Attendance
    • Awarded ABRCMS Student Full Travel Award (Fall 2023)
  • 2023 – 2023, Daniel Park
  • 2023 – 2024, Elizabeth Abraham
    • Valedictorian of Class 2024, College of Arts and Science, NYU
    • Awarded NSF Rising Scientist Award for 2024 TAGC Attendance (Spring 2024, $1950)
    • Awarded ABRCMS the Best Poster Presentation in Developmental Biology and Genetics Section at ABRCMS (2023) [Award Ceremony Video; pdf]
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Conference Grant (Fall 2023)
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Grant (Fall 2023)
  • 2023 – 2024, Gustave Li (NYU Shanghai student) [News highlight]
    • Next position: Doctoral student at Caltech
    • NYU Shanghai Excellence Award {Latin honors (Summa cum laude)}
    • Awarded NYU Shanghai Capstone Program Fund (Fall 2023, $6216.3 CNY)
    • Awarded ABRCMS the Best Poster Presentation in Developmental Biology and Genetics Section at ABRCMS (2023) [Award Ceremony Video; pdf]
    • Awarded NYU Shanghai Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund (Spring 2023)
  • 2022 – 2024, April Li
    • Next position: Doctoral student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    • Awarded GSA Undergraduate Travel Award to The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 ($300, Link 1, Link 2, pdf 1, pdf 2)
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Conference Grant (Fall 2023)
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund X2 (Spring 2023, Fall 2023)
  • 2022 Summer, NYU SURP program, Chelsea Griffin
    • Awarded ABRCMS Student Full Travel Award (Fall 2022)
  • 2021 – 2024, Maisha Jacy
    • Awarded NSF Rising Scientist Award for 2024 TAGC Attendance (Spring 2024, $1950)
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Conference Grant X2 (Spring 2022, Fall 2023)
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund X2 (Fall 2022, Fall 2023)
  • 2021 – 2023, Nathalie Shoji
    • Awarded 2023 NYU Albert Borgman Thesis Prize for the best honors thesis in Science [News featured on NYU Biology webpage] 
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund X2 (Fall 2021, Fall 2022)  
    • Awarded NYU Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Conference Grant (Spring 2022)
    • Poster award for 45th West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA, April 9, 2022 [pdf]

UC Riverside

  • 2016 – 2019, Sameera Ahmad, studying at UC Berkeley School of Optometry after leaving UCR
  • 2016 – 2019, Kush Amin, in his gap year for applying medical school after leaving UCR
  • 2014 – 2016, Erika Varady, pursuing her graduate degree at the University of California Irvine after leaving UCR

Mentee’s publication

Ahmad, S., Amin, K., Chen, Y. D, & Dahanukar, A. (2018). A Subset of Brain Neurons Controls a Sexually Dimorphic Proboscis Holding Behavior in Adult Drosophila Melanogaster. UC Riverside Undergraduate Research Journal, 12(1).[pdf]

Professional Activities

  • 2025 Selected participant in the Rising Stars Over the Rockies Conference, University of Colorado Cancer Center, June 17-20, Aurora, CO.
  • 2025 Selected participant in the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute (GCNI) Rising Stars Symposium, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), June 5-6, 2025. (Declined due to travel restrictions and institutional guidance).
  • 2024 Selected reverse mentor for FASEB LEAD (Leadership Engagement and Appreciation of Differences) program -An innovative reverse mentoring program fostering a culture of sharing diverse perspectives to make impactful changes in the scientific community. [LEAD pair website]
  • 2024 Selected participant in the Inclusive Leadership Workshop, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. [Group photo]
  • 2023 Selected participant in the NC State Building Future Faculty (BFF)Program, NC State University, March 29-31, Raleigh, NC. [Group photo]
  • 2023 Selected participant in Science Forward: Towards Inclusive Excellence in Academia, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, March 20-21, Cold Spring Harbor, NY. A symposium to increase diversity, expand inclusion and uphold equity in basic science research at New York State’s academic research institutions. [Group photo]
  • 2022 Neurodevelopment section co-chair and poster judge, Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 6-10, San Diego. [pdf]
  • 2022 Reviewer for CoNNeXins application “Colloquium at NYU for networking: Extramural for Invited Neuroscience Students”- a symposium event for external graduate students finishing up their PhD to share their work with the NYU community, learn about NYU neuroscience and network with Faculty and trainees [Link]
  • 2021 – present Review Editor for Cellular Neurophysiology, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
  • 2020 ISOT virtual meeting certificate of attendance [pdf]
  • 2019 – present ad hoc reviewer: PNAS (1); Cell Reports (1); eLife (2); PLOS Genetics (1); eNeuro (4); Genetics (10); STAR Protocols (12); Insects (1); Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1); Journal of Neuroscience Methods (1); Journal of Visualized Experiments (1) [Publons link] [eNeuro Acknowledgement of Reviewers]
  • 2018 Helper, Two-day Software Carpentry Workshop, UCR [Link]
  • 2016 Co-reviewer, eLife (Mentor: Dr. Anupama Dahanukar)

Professional Training

  • 2024 PI’s Business of Research Boot Camp, Columbia University (virtual) [Certificate]
  • 2024 Creating Compelling Research Narrative Workshop, Columbia University (virtual) [Certificate]
  • 2024 iBiology online training course – The Trainee Podcast: Build Your Research Community [Certificate]
  • 2023 How to Effectively Communicate Your Science to Any Audience (4 weeks), New York Academy of Sciences [Certificate]
  • 2023 Scientists Teaching Science Course (9 weeks), New York Academy of Sciences [Certificate]
  • 2022 and 2023 PI Crash Course (twice), Columbia University [Certificate]
  • 2021-2022 Torrey Pines Leadership Development Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys [Certificate]
  • 2021 Certified peer reviewer course by the Elsevier Researcher Academy [pdf]
  • 2020 iBiology online training course – Planning Your Scientific Journey [Certificate]
  • 2019-2021 Early Career Reviewer, Developmental & Behavioral Genetics section, GENETICS Peer Review Training Program [Link 1] [Link 2] [Certificate of completion]
  • 2018 Co-reviewer, The Journal of Neuroscience Reviewer Mentor Program (Mentor: Dr. Wayne Sossin) [Link] [pdf]
  • 2018 9th annual ANGUS workshop, a two-week workshop for bioinformatics and cloud computing, UC Davis [pdf]