Dr. Shan Xu

Professor

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Biography

Shan Xu received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1997. He served as a technical director at Lam Research Corporation, where he oversaw research, development, and the dissemination of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies. In 2009, he joined the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, focusing on the development of enhanced focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (eFIB-SEM). Later, in 2022, he accepted a position as a professor at Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology. His work encompasses not only technology development, with over twenty patents to his name, but also innovative leadership, transforming conventional FIB-SEM lab tools into reliable imaging platforms. His eFIB-SEM technology has enabled significant discoveries in tissue biology and neuroscience, culminating in the largest detailed Drosophila brain connectome in 2020. His lab is dedicated to advancing volume electron microscopy, striving to enhance existing imaging resolution limits, ultimately bridging structural and cellular biology.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2022-01-01 — Present

Yale School of Medicine • New Haven, CT

Lead research on enhanced ion beam-scanning electron microscopy and its applications in biology.

Technical Director

— 2009-01-01

Lam Research Corporation •

Oversaw research and development of semiconductor technologies.

Researcher

2009-01-01 — 2022-01-01

Howard Hughes Medical Institute • Janelia Research Campus

Focused on the development of enhanced FIB-SEM technology.

Requirements for Yale University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
GRE General
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Speaking
Required:26
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Speaking
Required:7.5
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Mathematics
Application Checklist
  • Statement of academic purpose
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Application fee ($105)
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Administered via the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). GRE General is optional for PhD.