Jiang Chen

Jiang Chen, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine, where he has held his position since 2012. His laboratory is housed in the Basic Sciences Tower and focuses on skin biology research. He maintains active affiliations with the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and the Graduate Program in Genetics.

Dr. Chen's educational background includes:

• M.D. from Henan Medical University, China (1995)
• M.D. with Ph.D. thesis from University of Heidelberg (2001)

His primary research investigates skin and hair follicles as model systems to understand epithelial development, homeostasis, and cancer. Key areas include Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) signaling, primary cilia formation, and hedgehog signal processing in keratinocyte differentiation. Current work utilizes genetically engineered mouse models to study how PCP signaling regulates skin development and cancer formation, with implications for hair loss treatments and skin cancer therapeutics. His lab also pioneers keratinocyte stem cell-based strategies for genetic skin disorders including epidermolytic hyperkeratosis and pachyonychia congenita.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals consistent focus on cilia-dependent signaling pathways in skin development and disease, with growing emphasis on translational applications for genetic skin disorders. His work bridges basic cell biology with clinical dermatology through innovative mouse models and stem cell approaches.

Dr. Chen has received significant recognition including:

• Dermatology Foundation Research Career Development Award (2009)
• Marvin Kuschner Excellence in Research Award (2015)
• Multiple North American Hair Research Society awards

As a member of Stony Brook's Graduate Programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics since 2013-2014, he contributes to training the next generation of scientists. His laboratory maintains active collaborations with international consortia including the International Pachyonychia Congenita Research Consortium and the Society of Investigative Dermatology. Current research directions include developing allele-specific silencing techniques for keratin mutations and exploring the role of primary cilia in skin cancer progression.