people

Assistant Professor 

Department of Neurological Surgery, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, MIT

B.S. Bioengineering, UC Berkeley

Email: ritchie.chen[at]ucsf.edu, CV

Junior Specialist

Styra previously completed a BS in Biological Sciences at Cornell University. His research interests include molecular tool development and the study of interoceptive circuits. Outside of research, he enjoys anime and manga. 

Poppy is currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF. She earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Bioelectronics Lab at the University of Cambridge and holds a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Imperial College London. Her research focuses on designing and fabricating advanced devices to interface with both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Outside the lab, she enjoys going to the gym and cheering on local sports teams. 

UC Berkeley-UCSF Bioengineering Graduate Program

Krisco is currently a graduate student in the UC Berkeley and UCSF joint Bioengineering program. She previously completed a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and joined the lab in 2024. Her research interests include the development of molecular tools for neurological disorders. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing badminton and learning to skate.

Medical Scientist Training Program (joint with Nowakowski lab)

Marcus is currently pursuing his MD/PhD degree at UCSF and is a graduate student in the joint UCB-UCSF Bioengineering Program. He received a BS in Biochemistry from Fort Lewis College. Marcus is interested in developing gene therapies for neurological disorders.

UC Berkeley-UCSF Bioengineering Graduate Program

Qiming is currently a graduate student in the UC Berkeley and UCSF joint Bioengineering Program. He joined in 2022. He previously completed a BS in Bioengineering from UC San Diego and worked for two years in surgical robotics company. His research interests include the development of closed-loop neural recording and stimulation systems. He likes sports and spending time outdoors.

Neuroscience Graduate Program, NSF GRFP

Leo is currently a graduate student in the UCSF Neuroscience Graduate Program. He previously completed a BS in Biology and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Neuroscience and Behavior from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include investigating the role of interoceptive signals in the production and maintenance of emotional internal states. He is a recreational birdwatcher and loves to travel and be outdoors. 

Biomedical Sciences Program (joint with Fu lab).

Mingyang is currently a graduate student in the UCSF Biomedical Sciences Program. He joined in 2022. He previously completed a BS in Biological Sciences from Nankai University in China and worked for two years as a Research Assistant at UCSF. His research interests include investigating the neural mechanisms of interoceptive circuits and effective sleep. He loves to be outdoors and go fishing.