About
Wanqiu Chen, PhD is an Assistant Research Professor in the Microbiology Division of the Basic Sciences department at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Dr. Chen earned their PhD from Loma Linda University in 2009 and has established a productive research program focused on genomics, bioinformatics, and epigenetics.
Dr. Chen's research interests span several key areas:
- Genomic analysis of cancer mechanisms and disease pathways
- Development and benchmarking of next-generation sequencing technologies
- Epigenetic changes related to environmental exposures
- Single-cell RNA sequencing methodologies and applications
- Computational approaches to drug discovery and molecular modeling
Dr. Chen's publication record shows consistent output of high-impact research with over 60 publications spanning from 2007 to 2025. Their work often involves large collaborative efforts, particularly through the FDA Sequencing Quality Control Consortium II project, where they have contributed to multiple benchmarking studies of genomic technologies that have set standards in the field.
Dr. Chen has received research funding for projects including:
- Genomic and Epigenomic Mechanisms of Maternal E-Cigarette induced Abnormal Brain Development (Co-Investigator)
- Investigating the genetic mechanisms of heritable connective tissue disorders
- Whole-genome and whole-methylome sequencing of the COVID-19 virus from patient samples
- Vertical transmission of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy
Dr. Chen's laboratory work focuses on next-generation sequencing technologies, single-cell analysis, and bioinformatics approaches to understand disease mechanisms and develop better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, with expertise spanning from raw data generation through computational analysis.
