Rate My Professor Samuel Wang

Samuel Wang is a Professor of Neuroscience at Princeton University, specializing in the Biology faculty. He received a B.S. with honors in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1986 and a Ph.D. in neurosciences from Stanford University in 1993. After postdoctoral fellowships at Duke University and Bell Laboratories, Wang held positions as a Congressional Science Fellow and legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate and House. He joined Princeton University in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology, was promoted to associate professor in 2006 jointly with the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and became professor of neuroscience in 2015. Additionally, he serves as a faculty associate in the Princeton Program in Law and Public Affairs and directs the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

Wang's research in the Wang Lab examines how the cerebellum contributes to sensorimotor processing, cognition, affect, flexible behavior, and early-life cognitive development, including its role as a non-genetic risk factor for autism spectrum disorders. The lab utilizes techniques such as two-photon in vivo fluorescence microscopy, whole-brain light-sheet microscopy, fast calcium indicators, and machine learning for behavior analysis. Notable publications include 'The cerebellum, sensitive periods, and autism' (Neuron, 2014), 'Optimization of a GCaMP calcium indicator for neural activity imaging' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2012), 'SLEAP: A deep learning system for multi-animal pose tracking' (Nature Methods, 2022), 'Fast and sensitive GCaMP calcium indicators for imaging neural populations' (Nature, 2023), and 'Coincidence detection in single dendritic spines mediated by calcium release' (Nature Neuroscience, 2000). He co-authored popular science books 'Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life' (2008) and 'Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows From Conception to College' (2011). Wang has received the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship (2000-2002), Rita Allen Foundation Scholar award (2000-2002), W.M. Keck Distinguished Young Scholar in Medical Research (2004-2009), National Science Foundation Career Development Award (2004-2009), and AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books (2009). He has chaired university committees including the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and contributed to peer review for journals such as Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, and PNAS.