Christopher Chen

Dr. Christopher Chen is a Assistant Professor at Penn State University's College of Medicine within the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics. His research focuses on the cerebellum and its connections to nonmotor brain structures, using in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and behavioral assays to explore unconventional neural pathways.

• Major focus areas: Purkinje cells, deep cerebellar nuclei, and their roles in forebrain interaction
• Techniques: Multielectrode recordings, anatomical tracing, and optogenetics
• Key collaborators: W. G. Regehr, K. S. Han, M. M. Khan

Dr. Chen's lab has received continuous funding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke through 2023. His work reveals novel cerebellar mechanisms in stress-induced neurological disorders (Science Advances 2022), spike frequency adaptation (Journal of Neuroscience 2022), and ephaptic coupling between Purkinje cells (Nature Neuroscience 2020). The lab serves as both a research center and training environment for neuroscience trainees.