Weina Chen

Weina Chen is a Professor in the Department of Pathology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, specializing in hematopathology with particular expertise in leukemias, lymphomas, and myeloid neoplasms. Her clinical practice focuses on diagnostic hematopathology with emphasis on immunophenotyping and molecular diagnostics.

• Medical School: Shanghai Medical University (1985)
• Graduate School: Shanghai Medical University (1988), Clinical Pharmacology
• Graduate School: Ecole Polytechnique (1993), Biophysics
• Research Fellowship: National Institute of Environmental Health Science (1995)
• Research Fellowship: Duke University Medical Center (1998)
• Residency: UT Southwestern Medical Center (2002), Anatomic & Clinical Pathology
• Fellowship: UT Southwestern Medical Center (2004), Hematopathology

Dr. Chen's research focuses on the molecular and immunophenotypic characterization of hematologic malignancies, particularly mixed phenotype acute leukemias, acute myeloid leukemias with unique morphological features, and high-grade B-cell lymphomas. Her work has significantly contributed to diagnostic criteria for entities like leukemias with cup-like nuclei and the development of biomarkers for double-hit lymphomas. She has pioneered the use of LILRB receptors as diagnostic markers in acute leukemias and investigated immune checkpoint expression in rare lymphoid malignancies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a strong focus on diagnostic hematopathology with emphasis on immunophenotypic markers (particularly CD38, LILRB receptors), molecular abnormalities in leukemias and lymphomas, and WHO classification updates. Her work bridges basic science discoveries with clinical applications, developing practical diagnostic algorithms used in pathology laboratories worldwide.

Dr. Chen has actively mentored numerous junior faculty and trainees who appear consistently as co-authors on her publications. Her laboratory serves as a reference center for complex hematopathology cases, particularly for mixed phenotype leukemias and rare lymphoid malignancies. Current research directions include investigating the molecular basis of treatment resistance in high-grade lymphomas and developing novel diagnostic markers for early detection of minimal residual disease.