He obtained his B.S. from the California Institute of Technology; he then received an M.S. and Ph.D from Stanford University working in the group of Prof. Jelena Vučković, where he developed nanophotonic devices for optical communication. He then trained as a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Mark Schnitzner’s lab at Stanford University, where he developed fast fluorescent protein sensors that reported spiking voltage activity in live animal models. The Gong lab now works on developing optical and protein techniques that can measure fast activity transients of the brain. The Gong lab is also supported by the Beckman Young Investigator Award, the Brain Research Foundation, the Vallee Young Investigator Award, and the Sloan Fellowship.