Overview

The Chen lab aims to understand how physical and chemical signals embedded in the microenvironment instruct aberrant behavior of resident cells to drive the progression of diseases and disorders within the central nervous system (CNS). We take a bioengineering approach to explore these questions by employing engineered biomaterial platforms, biomechanical characterization techniques, and traditional molecular biology assays. We utilize the insights gained to aid in the development of new approaches to combat neurodegeneration in traumatic injury and limit cell infiltration in glioblastoma.

 
 

News


We’re hiring! The Chen Lab is currently looking for talented graduate and undergraduate students.

For prospective graduate students: students should apply through the University of Louisville Bioengineering PhD program. If there are specific research projects that you may be interested in, feel free to contact Dr. Chen directly.

For prospective undergraduate students: please apply here.

Email Dr. Chen at joseph.chen@louisville.edu 

 
 

June 2024

  • We have a new paper entitled “The prognostic effect of mechanical, ultrastructural, and ECM signatures in glioblastoma core and rim” published in APL Bioengineering.

    https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apb/article/8/3/036101/3299255/The-prognostic-effect-of-mechanical

March 2024

  • We were awarded an NIH R15 (R15CA274344) “The role of HA remodeling and mesenchymal transitions in glioblastoma” !!

February 2024

  • We have a new paper entitled “Spatially Resolved Microglia/Macrophages in Recurrent Glioblastomas Overexpress Fatty Acid Metabolism and Phagocytic Genes” published in Current Oncology. https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/31/3/88

January 2024

  • We have a new paper entitled “Biophysical control of the glioblastoma immunosuppressive microenvironment: opportunities for immunotherapy” published in Bioengineering. https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/11/1/93

    Congrats Landon!

November 2023

  • The lab welcomes undergraduate researcher Lylah Cox to the group! Welcome Lylah!

August 2023

  • The lab welcomes undergraduate researcher Charles Froman-Glover to the lab!

July 2023

  • We have a new paper entitled “Untangling the web of glioblastoma treatment resistance using a multi-omic and multidisciplinary approach” published in The American Journal of the Medical Sciences!

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002962923012260

June 2023

  • We have a new paper entitled “Metabolomic differentiation of tumor core versus edge in glioma” published in Neurosurgical Focus https://thejns.org/focus/view/journals/neurosurg-focus/54/6/article-pE4.xml