
Ya-Wen Chen, PhD
Ya-Wen Chen (Preferred Name)
About Me
Ya-Wen is an Isidore Friesner Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and the Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She serves as the Scientific Director for the Institute for Airway Sciences, the Co-Scientific Director for the Center for Epithelial and Airway Biology and Regeneration, and the Director for the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease biorepository at Mount Sinai. Additionally, She is the Director of Basic Science Research for the Department of Otolaryngology. Ya-Wen is also a member of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Black Family Stem Cell Institute at Mount Sinai.
She pioneered work in lung organoid development and directed differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells to respiratory epithelial cells.
Ya-Wen received her M.S. in Tumor Biology from Georgetown University, Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She completed her postdoctoral work at the Columbia Center for Translational Immunology and the Columbia Center for Human Development at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She was a Parker B. Francis Fellow, Baxter Faculty Fellow, Catalyst Awardee, and Isidore Friesner Scholar.
Ya-Wen is an active advocator for gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights!
Language
Position
Research Topics
Antivirals, Biochemistry, Biomechanics/Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology, Cellular Differentiation, Developmental Biology, Differentiation, Enzymology, Epithelial Cells, Extracellular Matrix, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Infectious Disease, Influenza Virus, Lung, Membrane Proteins/Channels, Molecular Biology, Morphogenesis, Otolaryngology (ENT), Proteases, Protein Complexes, Protein Structure/Function, Regeneration, Respiratory, SARS Virus, Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering
Multi-Disciplinary Training Areas
Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Medicine [AIET], Development Regeneration and Stem Cells [DRS], Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT), Immunology [IMM], Microbiology [MIC]
About Me
Ya-Wen is an Isidore Friesner Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, and the Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-based Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She serves as the Scientific Director for the Institute for Airway Sciences, the Co-Scientific Director for the Center for Epithelial and Airway Biology and Regeneration, and the Director for the Developmental Origin of Health and Disease biorepository at Mount Sinai. Additionally, She is the Director of Basic Science Research for the Department of Otolaryngology. Ya-Wen is also a member of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the Black Family Stem Cell Institute at Mount Sinai.
She pioneered work in lung organoid development and directed differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells to respiratory epithelial cells.
Ya-Wen received her M.S. in Tumor Biology from Georgetown University, Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She completed her postdoctoral work at the Columbia Center for Translational Immunology and the Columbia Center for Human Development at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She was a Parker B. Francis Fellow, Baxter Faculty Fellow, Catalyst Awardee, and Isidore Friesner Scholar.
Ya-Wen is an active advocator for gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights!
Language
Position
Research Topics
Antivirals, Biochemistry, Biomechanics/Bioengineering, Biomedical Sciences, Cell Biology, Cellular Differentiation, Developmental Biology, Differentiation, Enzymology, Epithelial Cells, Extracellular Matrix, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Infectious Disease, Influenza Virus, Lung, Membrane Proteins/Channels, Molecular Biology, Morphogenesis, Otolaryngology (ENT), Proteases, Protein Complexes, Protein Structure/Function, Regeneration, Respiratory, SARS Virus, Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering
Multi-Disciplinary Training Areas
Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Medicine [AIET], Development Regeneration and Stem Cells [DRS], Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT), Immunology [IMM], Microbiology [MIC]
Education
BS, Tung-Hai University, Taiwan
MS, Georgetown University
PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Postdoc, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Awards
2023
ISSCR Member Spotlight
2022
Isidore Friesner Scholar
2020
Catalyst Award, American Lung Association
American Lung Association
2020
Baxter Faculty Award, Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation
Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation
2018
Parker B. Francis Fellowship, Francis Foundation
Francis Foundation
2017
Travel Award, International Society for Stem Cell Research
International Society for Stem Cell Research
2017
Training Award-PCBC hPSC Biology and Gene Editing, NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium
NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium
2017
Training Award-PCBC Multiplexed in situ Hybridization, NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium
NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium
2015
Travel Award, International Society for Stem Cell Research
International Society for Stem Cell Research
2015
Samuel Bard Young Investigator Awards
2014
Journal of Investigative Dermatology Profile December: Meet the Investigator
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
2010
2nd place, Student Category of Plasminogen Activation & Extracellular Proteolysis, Gordon Conference
Gordon Conference
2010
Travel Award, University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
2010
Winner of Biochemical Journal Poster Prize, Gordon Conference
Gordon Conference
1999
Masterpiece of Biology of National Science & Experiment Competition, Taiwan
Taiwan
1998
Young Scientist Award, APEC, South Korea
APEC
1998
The third Award of the 38th National Private and high schools Science Fair of Taiwan
Research
Locations
Publications
Selected Publications
- Optimized gene transduction in human lung organoids: A high-efficiency method for advanced research applications. Jasmin Khateeb, Jady Liang, Yuchong Li, Thenuka Thanabalasingam, Julie Khang, Mirjana Jerkic, Giovanna Pellecchia, Bhooma Thiruv, Ya Wen Chen, Ori Rotstein, Arthur S. Slutsky, Haibo Zhang. Communications Biology
- Stratified Impact of Therapies on Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Outcomes in the Pre-Gene-Targeted Therapy Era. Kun Zhang, Xinyi Wang, Jianyong Lei, Anping Su, Tao Wei, Zhihui Li, Ya Wen Chen. Annals of Surgical Oncology
- Repurposing of a gill gene regulatory program for outer-ear evolution. Mathi Thiruppathy, Lauren Teubner, Ryan R. Roberts, Micaela C. Lasser, Alessandra Moscatello, Ya Wen Chen, Christian Hochstim, Seth Ruffins, Arijita Sarkar, Jade Tassey, Denis Evseenko, Thomas P. Lozito, Helen Rankin Willsey, J. Andrew Gillis, J. Gage Crump. Nature