Yan-Hua Chen

Yan-Hua Chen is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina's McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on tight junction proteins' roles in diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cancer, with a particular emphasis on claudin-7's role in intestinal stem cell regulation and gut-brain axis interactions. She leads three labs: Molecular and Cell Biology (GSRC 324-325), Biochemistry (GSRC 326), and Medicinal Chemistry (GSRC 327).

Education:

• Ph.D., Emory University (1993)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard Medical School (1999)

Research Interests: Investigating claudin-7's role in intestinal stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, and disease pathogenesis. Current projects include molecular mechanisms of claudin-7 deletion-induced inflammation, gut-brain axis regulation, and small molecule development for barrier function modulation.

Notable Achievements:

• Recipient of the Brody Brothers Endowment Research Award (2019)
• Inaugural Inductee, National Academy of Inventors (2013)
• Featured in The Daily Reflector (2017, 2008) and East Carolina Alumni Magazine (2008)

Advising & Labs: Advises graduate students in interdisciplinary projects at the interface of chemical biology and molecular medicine. Lab research spans mouse models, organoid systems, and nanotechnology-based drug delivery.