Haiqi Chen

Haiqi Chen is an Assistant Professor at the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. His research focuses on gene regulation in mammalian reproductive systems, leveraging spatial and functional genomics technologies. He leads the Chen Lab, which develops cutting-edge methods such as spatial transcriptomics and machine learning approaches to study chromatin remodeling and tissue microenvironment dynamics in reproductive biology.

Dr. Chen holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Endocrinology from a joint program between the University of Hong Kong and the Rockefeller University (2017), followed by postdoctoral training at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In 2021, he established his independent lab at UT Southwestern.

His research interests span advanced genomic technologies, including next-generation spatial genomics and functional genomics tools, combined with computational methods to dissect gene regulation in male reproduction. Key areas include the mechanistic study of blood-testis barrier dynamics, sperm maturation, and the application of spatial transcriptomics to map cellular interactions in reproductive tissues.

• Awards: Lalor Foundation Fellowship (202X), 2024 Rising Star Award in Reproductive Biology

Publications highlight breakthroughs in spatial genomics, such as PHOTON technology for subcellular resolution, and investigations into spermatogenesis and contraceptive mechanisms. The lab actively collaborates on topics like chromatin organization and extrachromosomal DNA in the germline.