Hsiao-Huei ChenView profile
Professor
Hsiao-Huei Chen is a Full Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine, with additional appointments as Full Professor (adjunct) in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Professor in the Graduate programs of Neuroscience and Pathology and Experimental Medicine. She serves as a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute's Neuroscience program. Dr. Chen earned her BSc in Zoology from National Taiwan University in 1989 and completed her PhD in Virology at the University of Chicago in 1995. Her postdoctoral training was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School under Dr. Paula Clemens and Dr. Eric Frank. Dr. Chen's research spans multiple interconnected fields focusing on the interplay between the brain, peripheral organs, and the immune system. Her work has significant implications for understanding and treating aging-related disorders such as metabolic syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. She has made groundbreaking discoveries regarding the LMO4 protein and its relationship with PTP1B (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B), which has opened new therapeutic avenues for neurological disorders. Her laboratory employs advanced techniques including molecular biology, cell culture, electrophysiological recording, and various animal models to investigate neural circuit deficits in conditions like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and autism. Analysis of Dr. Chen's recent publications reveals a strong focus on tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B and its role in multiple neurological conditions. Her work demonstrates how PTP1B inhibition can ameliorate symptoms in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, stroke recovery, schizophrenia, and autism. This consistent theme across her publications suggests a unifying molecular mechanism underlying multiple neurological disorders, positioning her research at the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and metabolic health. Dr. Chen has received numerous prestigious awards including: Mid-Career Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario (2014-2018, ranked #1) New Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (2009-2014) Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation (2009-2014) Henry J. M. Barnett Research Scholarship award from The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (2009) She has also received multiple National Research Service Awards from the National Institutes of Health during her postdoctoral training. Dr. Chen actively mentors students and postdoctoral fellows through her laboratory at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She teaches several advanced neuroscience courses at the University of Ottawa including Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Psychiatry, Mechanisms of Neurological Diseases, and Principles of Neurobiology. Her research has been supported by significant grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. Her laboratory, located at the Neuroscience program at the Roger Guindon Hall, General Hospital Campus site, University of Ottawa, utilizes sophisticated techniques including molecular biology, cell culture, in vitro (brain slice) and in vivo electrophysiological recording, pharmacological intervention, and optogenetic methods. The lab investigates neural circuit deficits in various neurological disorders using cell-type specific transgenic or knockout mice, middle cerebral artery occlusion, photothrombosis for stroke studies, and bone marrow transplantation for atherosclerosis research.
