Albert Chen

Albert Chen is a Research Fellow at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, specializing in Evolutionary Biology and Palaeontology within the Natural Sciences department. His work bridges genetic data from living species with anatomical evidence from fossils to explore evolutionary relationships.

• BS with Honors, University of Maryland
• MSc with Distinction, University of Bristol
• PhD, University of Bath

Research focus: Evolution of birds and their extinct relatives, phylogenetics, vertebrate palaeontology, and comparative anatomy. His 2020 discovery of Asteriornis maastrichtensis illuminated early modern bird evolution during the Mesozoic era.

Scientific contributions: Combines molecular and fossil data to reconstruct evolutionary patterns. The 2020 paper on the 'Wonderchicken' fossil was highlighted in a Sedgwick Museum exhibit.

• Paleontological Society Allison R. “Pete” Palmer Student Research Award (2019)
• Systematics Research Fund recipient (2018)
• Marc Lipella Memorial Scholarship (2014)

Engages in public outreach through talks, articles, and infographics. Personal interests include drawing, birding, and cartoons.