Education

2004 – 2011   UTsouthwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Genetics & Development, PhD, Postdoc

1999 – 2003   Peking University, Collage of Life Sciences, Bachelor

Academic Experience

2019-present   Chinese Institute for Brain Research , Beijing, Researcher

2014 – 2019     Soochow University, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Professor

2012 – 2014     Origene Technologies, Senior Scientist, Director

Overview of Academic Research

Glioblastoma is one of the most malignant tumors, and after decades of research, treatment regimens for glioma patients are still limited to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy regimens, while the survival of glioblastoma patients is still only more than 10 months old. Our previous studies have shown that gliomas are likely to originate from adult neural stem cells that have the ability to renew themselves. In an established malignant glioma, there are some tumor cells that express stem cell markers, which are very important for the tumor’s resistance to chemotherapy and tumor recurrence. By utilizing mouse genetics, primary (tumor) cell culture, we are trying to understand key components that drives malignant transformation or responsible for tumor maintenance. We are also interested in the unique relationship between the immune system and brain microenvironment. Meanwhile, we are exploring the use of small molecules, CAR-T and tumor lytic virus for tumor progression intervention.

Major Honor and Awards

2013      Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents of Jiangsu Province

2009      American Association for Cancer Research Bristol-Myers Squibb Scholar-in-Training Award

Representative Research Achievements

1.Liao D*, Zhong L*, Yin J*, Zeng C, Wang X, Huang X, Chen J, Zhang H, Zhang R, Guan XY, Shuai X, Sui J, Gao S, Deng W, Zeng YX, Shen JN#, Chen J#, Kang T# （2020）Chromosomal translocation-derived aberrant Rab22a drives metastasis of osteosarcoma. Nat Cell Biol. 10.1038/s41556-020-0522-z

2. Sanchez-Ortiz E, Cho W, Nazarenko I, Mo W, Chen J#, Parada LF# (2014).NF1 regulation of RAS/ERK signaling is required for appropriate granule neuron progenitor expansion and migration in cerebellar development. Genes Dev. 28(21) : 2407-20 . (# Corresponding author)

3. Chen J, Li Y, Yu TS, McKay RM, Burns DK, Kernie SG, Parada LF (2012). A restricted cell population propagates glioblastoma growth after chemotherapy. Nature. 488(7412):522-6.

4. Chen J, Mckay RM, Parada LF (2012). Malignant glioma: lessons from genomics, mouse models, and stem cells. Cell. 30;149(1):36-47.

5. Alcantara Llaguno S*, Chen J*, Kwon CH*, Jackson EL, Li Y, Burns DK, Alvarez-Buylla A, Parada LF (2009). Malignant astrocytomas originate from neural stem/progenitor cells in a somatic tumor suppressor mouse model. Cancer Cell. 15:45-56. (, Authorship equally shared)

6. Wang P*, Chen J*, Zheng A*, Nie Y, Shi X, Wang W, Wang G, Luo M, Liu H, Tan L, Song X, Wang Z, Yin X, Qu X, Wang X, Qing T, Ding M, Deng H (2004). Expression cloning of functional receptor used by SARS coronavirus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 315:439-44. (,Authorship equally shared)