School of biomedical engineering, Shanghai jiaotong university

Yao Chen

Dr. Yao Chen is Professor of Biomedical Engineering. His research interests include: Neuronal mechanism of brain cognition functions, such as visual attention, learning and memory; visual function recovery and visual prosthesis; neural information processing in brain-machine interface; and new methods and techniques for visual information processing in the brain. He studied neuronal mechanism of visual attention by training monkeys to do attention tasks in different difficulties, and recording neuronal activity in visual cortex with chronically implanted micro-electrode array. His findings were reported as a cover story in Nature Neuroscience.

Education

Dr. Yao Chen received his Bachelor degree from College of life sciences, Peking University, and Ph.D. degree in Biophysics from the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. From 2001 to 2009, he worked at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and SUNY – College of Optometry in New York City for his post-doctoral training.

Work experience

In 2010, Dr. Chen became an Associate Professor in SJTU continuing his research in cognitive neuroscience. He was promoted to Professor of Biomedical Engineering in 2016.

Research

Neuronal mechanism of brain cognition functions, such as visual attention, learning and memory; visual function recovery and visual prosthesis; neural information processing in brain-machine interface; and new methods and techniques for visual information processing in the brain.

Research Project

Current

NSFC (PI: Chen Y)

61773259 (01/2018-12/2021)

Attention modulation on neuronal response and correlation in monkey's V1

RMB 640,000 Yuan

Completed

NSFC (PI: Chen Y)

31471081 (01/2015-12/2018)

Mechanism of neuronal feedback in selective visual attention

RMB 800,000 Yuan

NSFC (PI: Chen Y)

91120304 (01/2012-12/2015)

Neuronal mechanism of visual attention, visual feedback and their application in implantable brain computer interface

RMB 2,800,000 Yuan

973 Program sub-project (Director: Ren QS; PI: Chen Y)

2011CB707502 (11/2010-10/2015)

Mechanisms and key technologies of visual restoration for blindness

RMB 1,000,000 Yuan

NSFC (PI: Chen Y)

31070981 (01/2011-12/2013)

Neuronal mechanism of visual attention in early stage of visual information processing

RMB 360,000 Yuan

Monograph

1. Huang D, Xue LY, Wang MJ, Hu QY, Bu XD and Chen Y*. Feature-based attention elicited by precueing in an orientation discrimination task. Vision Research. 2018; 148: 15–25; doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.05.001.

2. Sun P, Li H, Lu Z, Su X, Ma Z, Chen J, Li L, Zhou C, Chen Y* and Chai XY*. Comparison of cortical responses to the activation of retina by visual stimulation and transcorneal electrical stimulation, Brain Stimulation. 2018; doi: 10.1016/ j.brs.2018.02.009 (*Co- corresponding Authors).

3. Xue LY, Huang D, Wang T, Hu QY, Chai XY, Li LM and Chen Y. Dynamic modulation of the perceptual load on microsaccades during a selective spatial attention task. Scientific Reports. 2017; 7: 16496; doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16629-2.

4. Li X^*, Chen Y^*, Lashgari R, Bereshpolova Y, Swadlow HA, Lee BB and Alonso J-M. Mixing of chromatic and luminance retinal signals in primate area V1. Cerebral Cortex. 2015; 25(7): 1920–1937 (^*Co-first authors).

5. Chen Y, Martinez-Conde S, Macknik SL, Bereshpolova Y, Swadlow HA and Alonso J-M. Task difficulty modulates the activity of specific neuronal populations in primary visual cortex. Nature Neuroscience. 2008; 11: 974–982.

Contact

E-mail：yao.chen@sjtu.edu.cn

telephone：86-21-34204076

address：文选楼 507A室