Dr. Jen Tsan Chi

Biography

Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi is a Professor at Duke University, specializing in Molecular Genetics, Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering, Integrative Immunobiology, Medicine, Cell Biology, and Pharmacology Cancer Biology. His research utilizes functional genomic approaches to explore nutrient signaling and stress adaptations in cancer cells under nutrient deprivation and environmental stress. His focus includes elucidating genetic determinants relevant to ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of cell death critical to human diseases, including various cancers and neurodegeneration. Chi's notable findings include identifying the mammalian stringent response pathway, akin to bacterial mechanisms, and its impact on ferroptosis. His works have indicated that DNA damage response pathways can influence ferroptosis, particularly in cancer therapies involving ionizing radiation. Chi is dedicated to understanding how cell density affects ferroptosis susceptibility and has discovered that the Hippo pathway effectors TAZ and YAP play pivotal roles in this regulation. Furthermore, his genomic single-cell RNA analyses reveal significant insights into red blood cell (RBC) biology, including the identification of diverse RNA populations within RBCs, challenging previously held beliefs about their functionality and implications for athletic performance and blood transfusion practices.

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