A Brief Biography of Yu Chen, Ph.D.陈昱博士生平简介

Childhood童年

Yu Chen was born to a military family on December 30th, 1973 in Zhengzhou, Henan, China. Both parents worked for the military: his father was a senior engineer, and his mother was a doctor and researcher.

陈昱 1973 年 12 月 30 日出生于中国河南郑州一个军人家庭。父母都在部队工作：父亲是高级工程师，母亲是医生兼科研工作者。

When Yu was 5, his father was appointed Director of the Integration Design Division at an air base. He was later promoted to Commander of the First Section of the air base, making significant contributions to the scientific research and development for the Chinese Air Force. Yu's family lived at the air base located in northwestern China until Yu went to middle school. Yu's childhood experience in the Gobi desert with a climate of extremes and the air force with strict discipline cultivated in Yu qualities of perseverance, self-discipline, and generosity.

陈昱五岁时，父亲被任命为某空军基地总体设计室主任，后又升任该基地一区司令，对中国空军的科研发展做出了重要贡献。陈昱一家随父亲在西北的空军基地生活，直到他升入中学。戈壁滩极端的气候与部队严明的纪律，养成了陈昱坚毅、自律、慷慨的品格。

During this period of his life, Yu already demonstrated an exceptional level of intelligence and a zest for learning. He had always been at the top of his class. However, the air base was in a secluded area with a small population and far away from large cities. In order to provide better education opportunities for their promising son, Yu's parents decided to leave the air force and transfer to civic jobs in their hometown of Zhengzhou, sacrificing their own careers in the military. Yu transferred to No. 8 Middle School in Zhengzhou, and was later admitted to No. 1 High School with outstanding academic records. In these schools, Yu continued to be at the top of his classes. The stellar academic performance never made him arrogant. On the contrary, Yu was humble, warm-hearted, friendly, generous, and always helpful. He was extremely patient when helping his classmates no matter who came to him with questions, and always gave them genuine encouragement. Besides studying, Yu also actively participated in diverse activities. It was from that time that Yu started taking the responsibility of serving the community and helping those in need, instead of being only satisfied with academic excellence in the ivory tower. He volunteered to care for a widowed elderly woman for many years until she passed away.

少年时代的陈昱已展现出过人的聪慧与学习热情，常年名列前茅。然而部队基地地处偏僻，远离都市。为了给这位天资过人的儿子提供更好的教育机会，父母毅然放弃军中事业，调回家乡郑州的地方工作。陈昱转入郑州第八中学，后以优异成绩考入郑州第一中学。在这两所学校里，他始终保持名列前茅。出色的学业从未让他骄傲。恰恰相反，他谦逊、热心、友善、慷慨、乐于助人。无论谁向他请教，他都耐心解答，给予真诚的鼓励。学习之余，他还积极参与各种社会活动。也正是从那时起，他开始把服务社会、帮助他人当作自己的责任，而非只满足于象牙塔里的学术成就。他长期照顾一位孤寡老人，直到老人去世。

College大学

In 1990, Yu was admitted into Peking University (PKU), exempt from the college entrance exam requirement due to his excellent academic records and well-rounded performance. Yu majored in nuclear physics in the Department of Technological Physics. Due to a special circumstance during the early 1990s, all incoming freshmen of PKU were required to complete a one-year mandatory military training at the Xinyang Military Academy in Henan Province before starting the regular 4-year undergraduate study. Many students and parents considered this extra year of training a waste of time or a constriction of freedom. But Yu took it as a good opportunity to toughen both his spiritual and physical strength. Yu naturally fit into the military environment and always applied to himself the disciplines with most rigor. Soon, he was appointed Monitor of the 1st Squad of the 1st Detachment in the 27th Squadron of the 6th Battalion of the Academy. The Detachment Leader used to joke that as a trained Squad Monitor Yu would be the first one to go to the front line, had there been a real war. This was no joke to Yu — sacrificing himself to serve the country and society if needed had always been his dream deep in his heart. In addition to the routine military training, Yu also led his squad to participate in many other voluntary activities, both within and outside the Academy. While Yu actively organized these events for his squad, he never intended to seek any credit. Instead, he always gave credits to others. During one tunnel-digging project, one classmate in his squad suffered an ankle injury while operating a wheelbarrow. Yu ordered medical leave for him and petitioned for a recognition in the classmate's honor. Yu also gave countless help to his classmates, doing laundry for the injured squadmate and taking overnight sentry assignment for those in need. During the one year of military training, the strongest impression Yu left his classmates was his genuine generosity, cheerfulness, and care for others.

1990 年，陈昱因品学兼优被保送至北京大学，免试入学。他就读于技术物理系核物理专业。受 1990 年代初特殊形势影响，北大所有新生入学前都须在河南信阳陆军学院进行为期一年的军政训练。许多学生和家长把这一年视为浪费时间或束缚自由，陈昱却把它看作磨练意志、强健体魄的良机。他天生适合军中生活，对自己要求格外严格。很快他便被任命为该院第六营第二十七连第一排第一班的班长。排长曾打趣说，他这位训练有素的班长万一打仗，必定是第一个上前线的人。陈昱对此并不当玩笑——为国为民牺牲，本就是他内心深处的志向。除日常训练外，他还带领全班参与院内外多项志愿活动。这些活动尽管由他主导，他却从不为自己邀功，而总是把功劳归于他人。一次挖坑道时，班里一位同学推车扭伤了脚踝，陈昱不仅为他请下病假，还为其申请表彰。他默默帮受伤同学洗衣，替需要的人替岗站夜哨。一年的军训，他留给同学们最深的印象，就是真诚的慷慨、开朗的性格和对他人的关心。

In Fall 1991, Yu returned to PKU with all other students of the class of 1995 to start four years of undergraduate studies. Although they brought to PKU with them their military bedding sets, they all seemed to have lost all military imprint and, in particular, the ability to make the perfectly square bedding like they were required to do in the military academy. Everyone except Yu, that was. With strict self-discipline, the "square" traits were innate in Yu and would not change with time or environment. When applying this self-discipline and his perseverance to studying, Yu was always diligent and inquisitive. It was not surprising that he continued to be at the top of his class in this top university of China. Yu was the student that every professor wanted to have. In fact, many of his professors asked Yu to be their teaching assistant after they had Yu in their classes. Yu treated his duty as a teaching assistant with equal diligence. Yu always carefully reviewed the course materials, doing every homework problem again himself before grading students' homework. Quite often he provided longer and more thorough answers, derivations, and explanations for each student than what they could write down themselves. To his classmates, Yu also never spared any effort when they needed his help. Even when others were hesitant to ask for help, Yu always offered it as soon as he perceived the need. In college, Yu had outstanding academic performance and demonstrated a keen interest and talent in scientific research. At the same time, he was also an avid athlete who enjoyed running, body building, and swimming. Although a person of strict self-discipline, Yu was never harsh on others. Quite on the contrary, he was warm, cheerful, and amiable. Among the group of young people in this particular stage of growing up, Yu was always willing to open up and share his own growing pains. His nickname "Lao Bang" also came from the jokes and pranks of this period. Although it was not a worthy name of recognition, Yu actually liked it and often self-referred using this name, only because of the deep brotherly love from which it came.

1991 年秋，陈昱与 95 级同学一同回到北大，开始四年本科学习。同学们虽然带回了部队发的被褥，却几乎个个失去了军训的"棱角"，尤其再也叠不出像军校里那样方正的豆腐块——除了陈昱一人。严格的自律早已成为他的本性，不会因环境的改变而消失。把这份自律和坚持用在学习上，他始终勤奋好学。他在中国最高学府里依旧名列前茅。陈昱是每一位老师都想要的学生，许多教授在课上认识他后，都请他做自己的助教。他把助教工作做得同样一丝不苟：先把课程材料重新研读一遍，再亲自做完所有习题，然后才动笔批改。同学的作业上，他常常写下比答题人本身还要详尽的解答、推导与解释。对身边的同学，他更是有求必应；即使别人不好意思开口，他察觉到也会主动伸手。大学期间，他不仅学业出色，对科研也展现出浓厚的兴趣与天分。同时，他也是热心的运动爱好者，喜欢跑步、健身、游泳。虽然对自己要求严苛，却从不苛求别人。相反，他热情、开朗、随和。在那个青春洋溢的年纪里，他乐于敞开心扉，分享成长的烦恼与喜悦。同学们给他起的外号 "老棒" 也是从那段日子里来的。这名字算不上什么褒奖，他却乐于接受、常以此自称，只因背后是同学之间深厚的兄弟情谊。

Upon graduating in 1995, Yu continued at PKU with his graduate studies, with the entrance exam waived due to his stellar undergraduate performance. He became the last protégé of Professor Jiaer Chen, a famous Academician of the Chinese Academy of Science and the then President of PKU.

1995 年本科毕业后，陈昱因优异成绩被免试推荐继续攻读北大研究生，成为时任北大校长、中国科学院院士陈佳洱教授的关门弟子。

Ann Arbor, Michigan密歇根 · 安娜堡

In 1998, after completing his M.S. studies at PKU, Yu was admitted to the University of Michigan (UM) to pursue his Ph.D. in physics. Just like that of thousands of other international students, life in the USA for Yu beyond studying was about making friends and learning to cook. On his coursework, Yu was diligent in every class he took, once again applying his high degree of focus and persistence. In the eyes of his classmates and friends, Yu truly demonstrated the meaning of meticulous scholarship. For one computer science course he took, the term project was on designing a CPU. Yu's design far out-performed those by other CS majors, so much so that his design was near commercial grade and was selected for fabrication. But Yu was still humble, always telling other friends that all UM students were excellent and he needed to spend a tremendous effort just to keep up with them.

1998 年，陈昱完成北大硕士学业后赴美，进入密歇根大学攻读物理学博士。与无数留学生一样，他在美国的学生生活，除了学习就是交朋友、学做菜。他在每一门课上都倾注全部精力，将自己一贯的专注与坚持发挥得淋漓尽致。在同学和朋友眼中，他真正诠释了什么叫一丝不苟的治学态度。一次计算机课的期末作业是设计一颗 CPU，他的设计远胜其他计算机专业同学，几乎达到商用水准，最终被选中流片。即便如此，他依旧谦逊，常对朋友说密大同学都很优秀，自己只是花了大量功夫才勉强跟得上。

Yu developed life-long friendships with many, influencing those both inside and outside his research work and studies. At UM, he enjoyed discussing scientific research with friends, and later organized the "Enjoy Science Club." He also passionately participated in many outdoor and sporting activities, bringing along many of his friends. Following his lead, many of his physically inactive academic friends started a healthier lifestyle with exercising and outdoor activities. Yu's apartment had been a center for friends to gather for as long as he lived in Ann Arbor. Yu particularly enjoyed hosting dinner parties in his apartment for large groups of friends. Yu always insisted on doing cleaning himself following the dinner, while joyfully chatting and laughing with his friends. To him, the tedious chores of hosting, cooking, and cleaning up afterward were actually a blessing, as long as he could be with his friends.

他与许多人结下了终生的友谊，无论是在学业研究内还是外，都给周围的人留下深远影响。在密大期间，他喜欢与朋友讨论科学研究，后来还创办了 "Enjoy Science Club"。他更是热衷于户外和体育活动，并带动许多原本久坐不动的学界朋友开始锻炼、亲近自然，养成更健康的生活方式。在安娜堡期间，他的公寓一直是朋友们聚会的中心。他特别喜欢在家里宴请大群朋友，饭后一定亲自动手收拾，一边洗刷一边与朋友谈笑风生。对他而言，做东、做饭、洗碗这些琐碎的事情，只要能和朋友们在一起，便都是一种幸福。

In 2005, after receiving his Ph.D., Yu continued to stay in Ann Arbor and started conducting his postdoctoral research in Radiation Oncology at UM. His major research focus was on radiotherapy for cancer patients, a continuation of his doctoral work but even closer to clinical applications. He deeply enjoyed this research area, knowing that his findings could potentially help significantly improve the survival rate of many cancer patients. Every time he talked about his research with family and friends, Yu flashed sparks in his eyes. He would most patiently detail his research experience and how eagerly he wanted to help cancer patients.

2005 年获得博士学位后，陈昱继续留在安娜堡，在密歇根大学放射肿瘤学系开展博士后研究。他主要研究癌症患者的放射治疗，是博士课题的延续，但更贴近临床应用。他深爱这一领域，因为他知道自己的研究有可能大幅提高众多癌症患者的生存率。每当与家人朋友谈起研究，他眼里都闪着光，会耐心地讲述自己做了什么，又有多么迫切地希望去帮助癌症病人。

Madison, Wisconsin威斯康星 · 麦迪逊

In 2007, Yu moved to Madison, Wisconsin and became a research medical physicist. Among different career paths in radiotherapy medical physics, most people chose to become clinical medical physicists, because the clinical positions were better paid and more stable. However, after completing his postdoctoral research, Yu did not choose this popular career path. Instead, he sacrificed his own financial interests and chose to become a research medical physicist. For Yu, research is the foundation of effective clinical applications, and research breakthroughs benefit a much larger range of patients. As a senior medical physicist, Yu was a core member of the research and development teams at TomoTherapy Inc. and later at 21st Century Oncology.

2007 年，陈昱迁居威斯康星麦迪逊，成为一名研究型医学物理学家。在放射治疗医学物理这个领域，大多数人会选择做临床医学物理师，因为临床岗位待遇更好、工作也更稳定。但完成博士后研究的陈昱没有走这条热门的路，而是放弃了个人经济利益，选择做一名研究型医学物理学家。在他看来，研究是有效临床应用的基础，而研究上的突破可以惠及更广泛的患者群体。作为高级医学物理学家，他先后是 TomoTherapy 公司和 21st Century Oncology 公司研发团队的核心成员。

During his medical physics research career in Madison, Yu published dozens of research papers, frequently presented his discoveries at international conferences in cancer radiotherapy, and was the co-inventor of several U.S. and international patents. Several software systems that he developed were implemented in clinic environments, the most famous of which was what later became TomoEdge — a radiotherapy system being used in hundreds of cancer centers around the world today, treating thousands of patients every day. Not only did he devote himself to his research, Yu also continued to live a vibrant life in Madison owing to his zest for life, freedom, and sports. He enjoyed going to shooting ranges, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking, snowboarding, and picnicking with his Madison friends. In the winter, he frequently organized group ski trips of over a hundred people. Yu also enjoyed singing and producing his own amateur recordings, with a vocal of near professional quality.

在麦迪逊的医学物理研究生涯中，陈昱发表了数十篇研究论文，多次在国际癌症放疗会议上介绍他的研究成果，并参与多项美国和国际专利的发明。他研发的多套软件系统被用于临床，其中最著名的就是后来商业化为 TomoEdge 的放射治疗系统——如今全球数百家肿瘤中心都在使用，每天为数千名患者提供治疗。除了潜心研究，陈昱在麦迪逊也过着丰富多彩的生活。他热爱生活、热爱自由、热爱运动：和麦迪逊的朋友一起去靶场、徒步、攀岩、游泳、皮划艇、滑雪、野餐。冬天里，他常组织上百人的滑雪团。他也喜欢唱歌，自己录制业余歌曲，嗓音几近专业水准。

In 2009, Yu discovered and immediately fell in love with windsurfing and sailing on Lake Mendota. He soon became a top windsurfer on the lake and was frequently the top finisher in local windsurfing speed races. Yu was eager to give back to the community by helping others learn the sports he loved. In 2012, Yu became a volunteer windsurfing instructor at the Hoofer Sailing Club. Ever since then, he had spent countless hours of his spare time teaching and giving ratings to other surfers, and volunteered for many Hoofer activities — including his favorite Hoofer Outreach Program for taking underprivileged youth on sail boats to experience Lake Mendota.

2009 年，陈昱在门多塔湖上结识并爱上了帆板与帆船。他很快成为湖上的顶尖帆板高手，在本地的速度赛中常常拔得头筹。他乐意把自己热爱的运动回馈社区，帮助他人入门。2012 年，他成为 Hoofer 帆船俱乐部的志愿帆板教练。从此他把无数业余时间花在教学和考级上，并积极参与俱乐部的各种志愿活动——其中他最喜欢的，是带领贫困青少年乘船体验门多塔湖的 Hoofer Outreach Program。

One Fateful Afternoon on Lake Mendota门多塔湖那个命运的下午

Windsurfing brought Yu immense joy and excitement for many years, but it also put a sudden end to his young and vibrant life. In the beautiful afternoon of May 31st, 2017, Yu glided gracefully on Lake Mendota for the last time, only leaving an everlasting shadow of his sail deep in the hearts of those who loved him and cherished his friendship.

帆板带给陈昱多年的欢乐与激情，却也让他年轻而精彩的生命戛然而止。2017 年 5 月 31 日，那个美丽的下午，他在门多塔湖上最后一次优雅地驰过，只留下那一片永不褪色的帆影，深深印在每一个爱他、珍视他友谊的人心里。