Jing Chen

Synopsis:

Dr. Chen builds mathematical models to study the interplay between spatiotemporal, mechanical and biochemical processes in cellular mechanisms. Current research projects in the lab include cell division mechanisms, gene expression control, bacterial motility and microbial communities.

Description:

Nearly all cellular mechanisms involve complex dynamics in multiple interacting components. The state-of-the-art experimental tools, such as live-cell imaging and omics technologies, have enabled observation and quantification of such dynamics at various levels (e.g., molecules, subcellular organelles) and of different types (e.g., gene expression dynamics, spatial dynamics, mechanical interactions). However, often lacking is a comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of how these components interact with each other, how their associated dynamics couple with each other, and how aberrations in these interactions or dynamics affect the corresponding cellular functions. Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool to interweave the experimental data with fundamental principles of physics and chemistry, generate coherent mechanistic insights into the cellular mechanisms, and propose novel hypothesis to assist future experimental design. To ensure fruitful, iterative cycles of modeling and experimentation, Dr. Chen works in close collaboration with experimental groups.