About PI

Principal Investigator

Yunfeng Chen

Assistant Professor

Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics

Dr. Yunfeng Chen received his PhD degree in BioEngineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated with BioEngineering Outstanding Thesis Award. By combining the cutting-edge force spectroscopy, Biomembrane force probe, with cell fluorescence imaging, he studied platelet mechano-signaling and the binding, conformational dynamics and activation of integrins on the single-molecule and single-cell level. His researches advanced the field’s understanding on neutrophil adhesion/recruitment and its dysfunction by lupus, platelet mechanosensing via surface receptors GPIb and integrin αIIbβ3, and cell’s matrix rigidity-sensing. In 2016, Dr. Chen joined The Scripps Research Institute with the financial support of MERU Foundation. By combining in vitro bioengineering approaches (e.g., single-molecule/cell force spectroscopy and microfluidic-based techniques) with in vivo tests, he studied how atherothrombosis is associated with mechanobiological defects in platelets and blood plasma proteins.

Dr. Chen’s research is recognized nationally and internationally. He received Mary Rodes Gibson Memorial Award in Hemostasis and Thrombosis from the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in 2017, American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2019, Yuan-Cheng Fung Best Paper Award and ICBME Young Scholars Award from International Conference on Biomechanics and Medical Engineering in 2019. He is currently supported by an NIH R00 grant.