Research/Areas of Interest:
1. Gene expression and regulation in bone development and formation using transgenics, gene knockouts, signal transduction pathway, and epigenetic including microRNA and long noncoding RNA;
2. Using adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to engineer and regenerate tissues;
3. Translational studies including treatment for bone disorders in diabetic and obese patients, bone metastasis of breast cancer, association of dental diseases with systemic disorders, e.g., Alzheimer's disease and osteoarthritis, and osseointegration of bone implants;
4. Application of nanomaterials in cell-based gene therapy.
Education
- Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD), Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, United States
- Master of Dental Science (MDS), University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, United States
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Toronto, Canada
Biography
Dr. Jake (Jinkun) Chen is a Professor of Periodontology and Director of the Division of Oral Biology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He is also a Professor in the Dept. of Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology at Tufts School of Medicine and School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. He received his DMD degree from Tufts University, Master of Dental Science Degree and Certificate of Oral Pathology from University of Connecticut, and PhD degree from the University of Toronto in Canada. He was a Research Fellow at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and a Resident Dentist/Pathologist at John Dempsey Hospital, UConn Health Center. Dr. Chen became a licensed practicing dentist through the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB), and a tenured professor in 1998. He was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists (FACD) in 2011. Dr. Chen's research has been supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) RO1 grants in the past two decades. He is currently supported by four NIH RO1 grants with a total of over $11.62 millions in budget. Dr. Chen focuses his research in the areas of regenerative medicine, epigenetic and translational studies on oral and systemic diseases. Dr. Chen has published over 90 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Over 50 students, post-doctoral associates and research fellows have worked in the Chen Laboratory. Dr. Chen has been invited to lecture at universities and in conferences, and his speeches have been well received.