Yen-Chi Chen

Yen-Chi Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Washington. He also holds positions as a Data Science Fellow at the UW eScience Institute and as a co-investigator and statistician at the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. His academic career spans multiple interdisciplinary fields including statistics, data science, and astrostatistics.

Chen's educational background includes a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, where he received prestigious awards including the Umesh K. Gavasakar Thesis Award (2017) and the William S. Dietrich II Presidential Ph.D. Fellowship Award (2015).

His research focuses on nonparametric statistics, topological data analysis, missing data methodologies, cluster analysis, manifold learning, and applications in large-scale structure analysis and astrostatistics. Chen has made significant contributions to the development of statistical methods for analyzing cosmic web structures, GPS data, and causal inference with continuous treatments. His work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications in astronomy, neuroscience, and public health.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on developing novel statistical frameworks for complex data structures, particularly focusing on density-based methods, manifold learning, and approaches that address challenges in missing data and causal inference without standard assumptions.

• ASA Noether Early Career Scholar Award, American Statistical Association (2022)
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2022-2027)
• Umesh K. Gavasakar Thesis Award, Carnegie Mellon University (2017)
• William S. Dietrich II Presidential Ph.D. Fellowship Award, Carnegie Mellon University (2015)

Chen has advised numerous graduate students across multiple publications, with a focus on developing new statistical methodologies. His research has been supported by major funding agencies including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is actively involved in several research groups including the UW Geometric Data Analysis Group, the UW Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences, and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.