# Maxx Yung

> I like to write, research, and build. Former bioengineering and materials engineering student at the University of Pennsylvania, now founder and CEO of Engram, a biotech company.

I'm a former Bioengineering & Materials Engineering student at the University of Pennsylvania. I mainly did research at Penn Med ([Corder Lab](https://corderlab.com/)) and Penn Materials Engineering ([Madl Lab](https://madlbiomaterialslab.com/) and [Singh Nanotech Center](https://www.nano.upenn.edu/)). Most of my work was in data infra, mice stereotaxic surgeries, or semiconductor fabrication.

Outside of school, I'm a Senior Researcher at [Contrary Research](https://research.contrary.com/), writing deep dives on deeptech companies like [Cerebras](https://research.contrary.com/company/cerebras), [SpaceX](https://research.contrary.com/company/spacex), and [Varda](https://research.contrary.com/company/varda). I've also written for [Arena Magazine](https://arenamag.com/subscribe).

I'm the founder and CEO of [Engram](https://engram.co/), a biotech company.

## Contrary Research

Maxx is a lead researcher at Contrary Research, where he focuses on deep tech: semiconductors and AI chips, photonic and quantum computing, and space. He wrote or co-wrote these Contrary memos and deep dives:

- [Deep Dive: Building an American TSMC](https://research.contrary.com/deep-dive/building-an-american-tsmc): what it would take to build leading-edge chip manufacturing in the US
- [Cerebras](https://research.contrary.com/company/cerebras): wafer-scale AI chips
- [Lightmatter](https://research.contrary.com/company/lightmatter): photonic computing
- [PsiQuantum](https://research.contrary.com/company/psiquantum): photonic quantum computing
- [SpaceX](https://research.contrary.com/company/spacex): launch and satellite internet
- [Varda](https://research.contrary.com/company/varda): in-space manufacturing

## Research

At the University of Pennsylvania, Maxx did nanofabrication and semiconductor research at the [Singh Center for Nanotechnology](https://www.nano.upenn.edu/), biomaterials research at the [Madl Lab](https://madlbiomaterialslab.com/), and pain and opioid neuroscience at the [Corder Lab](https://corderlab.com/) at Penn Medicine, where he worked on data infrastructure and mouse stereotaxic surgery.

Selected publication:

- Wojick JA, …, Yung M, …, Corder G. [A nociceptive amygdala-striatal pathway modulating affective-motivational pain](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado2837). *Science Advances*, 2025. PMID 40700496.

## Awards

- AAN Neuroscience Research Prize, 2023 (one of three national recipients)
- Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar, 2023 (top 300)

## Writing

Essays and notes live at https://brain.maxxyung.com. Most-read first:

- [On young talent and unconfidence](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/unconfidence): 2025
- [Thoughts on Cognitive Filtering](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/cognitive-filtering): 2025
- [On Dropping Out](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/dropping-out): 2024
- [Countersignaling](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/countersignaling): 2025
- [To Be Great](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/greatness): 2024
- [My Idea Thesis](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/venture/thesis): 2024
- [Phase 0 of Hardtech Companies](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/venture/hardtech-beginnings): 2024
- [Founder Traits](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/venture/founder-traits): 2024
- [Building Strong Moats](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/venture/moat): 2024
- [Energy Optimism](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/energy-optimism): 2024
- [Move Over Software - the Deeptech Era is Here](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/venture/deeptech-era): 2024
- [Gravitational Ambition](https://brain.maxxyung.com/blog/personal/gravitational-ambition): 2024

## Elsewhere

- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@maxxyung) · [Email](mailto:maxxyung1@gmail.com)

## Links

- [Website](https://www.maxxyung.com/)
- [Resume (PDF)](https://www.maxxyung.com/resume.pdf)
- [Blog and notes](https://brain.maxxyung.com)
- [Photos](https://photos.maxxyung.com)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/Solarrixs)
- [X (Twitter)](https://x.com/maxxyung11)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxxyung/)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@maxxyung)
- [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4651-9814)