Song Pang

Pang’s primary research focus is to nucleate transformative technology development and to foster discoveries in life science. One of her aims at YSM is to expand the application space of the enhanced FIB-SEM technology beyond experimental model systems to the realms of translational and clinical research.

Prior to joining YSM, Pang was the lead scientist in FIB-SEM Technologies group at the Janelia Research Campus of Howard Hughes Medical Institute, she proposed and single-handedly developed the tissue pipeline for the applications of enhanced FIB-SEM technology. She together with colleagues, created an open-access 3D atlas at the finest isotropic resolution using the enhanced FIB-SEM platform.

Inspired by the idea of probing brain functions with semiconductor technologies, Pang brought her expertise of semiconductor device integration into brain research in 2009. She directed every aspect of device fabrication of customized extra cellular neuroprobes, and connected Janelia with the semiconductor research leader, IMEC. With her vision and initiation, the Neuroprobe project turned into a multi-institute master collaboration.

During her tenure in semiconductor industry, Pang was responsible for various new technology programs from concept initiation, product development, and to worldwide adoption. Her career began as a senior researcher at Intel Photonics Development Group. In 2002, she together with colleagues, demonstrated a silicon-based optical modulator operating at 1GHz—a 50x increase over the previous research world record of 20 MHz. Shortly after that, she took on the responsibility of the Alternate Phase Shift Technology (APSM) development program. She successfully led cross-functional teams to invent and implement the APSM architecture into high-volume manufacturing, thus establishing Intel’s patterning manufacturing leadership for years to come. During APSM development, she encountered fundamental inspection challenges that led her to joining KLA Corporation to create innovative solutions. Within 2 years, her team successfully launched wafer plane inspection technology, which revolutionized how the photo-mask industry evaluates defects.

Joining YSM, Pang envisions the FIB-SEM Collaboration Core to be a discovery powerhouse. It consists of a cutting-edge imaging pipeline from x-ray guided FIB-SEM sample preparation, large volume 3D high resolution imaging, to data registration and segmentation. Since 2019, the proprietary enhanced FIB-SEM technology and pipeline have enabled numerous transformational discoveries: 3 Nature, 3 Science, 3 Cell, and 21 other publications, many of which were major new landmarks in their fields. At Yale, Pang aims to cultivate a healthy ecosystem among imaging technology, wide range of applications, and data pipeline, synergistically elevating the research in life science to a whole new level. She welcomes your collaborations and look forward to embarking on this joint adventure together!