Dr. Albert Higgins Chen

Biography

Albert Higgins-Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University, where he serves as a principal investigator. He completed his MD/PhD training at the University of Michigan, focusing on the genetic regulation of aging in C. elegans. As a clinically trained psychiatrist, he applies aging biomarkers to investigate how mental health treatment affects aging. His research includes developing novel methods for measuring biological aging and the effects of aging interventions, particularly in relation to Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer. His lab primarily utilizes machine learning techniques to estimate biological age through high-dimensional omics data. Current research projects involve the interplay between aging biomarkers and psychiatric disorders, investigating conditions such as Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, with a strong focus on how psychiatric disorders serve as major risk factors for age-related diseases. Dr. Higgins-Chen actively seeks collaborations with clinicians, epidemiologists, and social scientists to explore critical questions about the aging process and its interaction with mental health.

Research Interests