Dr. Yun Chen

Biography

Yun Chen, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins Institute NanoBioTechnology, focuses her research on the development of tools to measure key parameters in mechanobiology. Her work aims to understand the fundamental biophysical mechanisms that contribute to diseases by exploring the properties of diseased cells and tissues. Her research addresses the characterization of biophysical properties, like stiffness and viscosity, which can have consequential roles in understanding diseases rather than merely treating their symptoms. Chen's team has contributed significantly to the field by developing measurement tools that quantify biophysical phenomena, such as the stiffness of twisted DNA strands and the viscoelasticity differences between cancer cells and normal cells. This research is aimed at unveiling the causality of abnormal biophysical traits that can lead to disease, ultimately developing diagnostic tools and treatments that harness biophysical principles to rectify biological processes associated with known pathologies. Chen's group has published work in prestigious journals like Nature Physics and Biomaterials, and has secured patents for biophysical treatments drawing interest from industrial investors. She obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in dynamic imaging to decipher complex biophysical and biochemical behaviors at the molecular level.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards