Chun-Kan Chen, PhD

Chun-Kan Chen, PhD

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology

The Chen lab utilizes multi-omic and high-throughput screening approaches to systematically investigate the regulation and function of circRNA in cells and develop novel circRNA technologies for translational applications.

Research Interests

The Chen lab is interested in non-canonical RNA-mediated gene regulation. Our research focus on investigating the biogenesis, regulation, and function of a peculiar class of non-canonical RNA, circular RNAs (circRNAs), and uncovering how dysregulation of these processes contributes to disease. The human genome encodes tens of thousands of circRNAs, some of which have been shown to contribute to disease pathogenesis when dysregulated. Despite their abundance and disease relevance, the function and regulation of circRNAs and their roles in disease pathogenesis remain largely unknown. Revealing the mechanisms behind the circRNA-mediated disease can provide valuable clinical insights for therapeutic interventions. To elucidate the mechanisms, We aim to develop novel multi-omic and high-throughput screening approaches to uncover the RNA elements, genomic features, and protein components regulating the functions of circRNAs. Our long-term goal is to harness the unique features of circRNAs to develop a new platform for RNA-based technologies and therapeutic interventions, providing valuable tools for both basic science research and clinical applications. Our research on the biogenesis, regulation, and function of circRNA will provide key insights into the roles circRNAs play in diverse biological processes and the molecular mechanisms behind circRNA-mediated disease, with implications for both basic science and translational research.

Professional Education
  • BS: National Taiwan University, Taiwan, 2010, Life Sciences
  • MA: University of Southern California, 2013, Biochemistry
  • PhD: California Institute of Technology, 2017, Biology
  • Postdoc: Stanford University, 2017-2022, Dermatology

Chen Lab

McDonnell Sciences Building (MS: 8228-0012-04)
314-362-4606
chun-kan@wustl.edu

Circular RNA (circRNA) | RNA Binding Protein (RBP) | RNA Structures | Hypoxia | Single-Cell RNA Sequencing (scRNA-seq) | RNA Therapy

The Chen lab utilizes multi-omic and high-throughput screening approaches to investigate the regulation and function of circRNA and uncover the molecular mechanisms of circRNA mediated disease. We aim to uncover (i) the RNA elements, genomic features, and protein components regulating the functions of circRNAs, (ii) the molecular mechanism of how circRNAs regulate cell physiology, and (iii) how circRNA dysregulation can lead to disease pathogenesis. Our long-term goal is to harness the unique properties of circRNAs to develop new tools for RNA-based technologies and therapeutic interventions.

Publications