Zhong Chen

Zhong Chen, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor in the Microbiology Division of the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University. He joined the university in 2017 as a Research Associate and was promoted to his current rank in 2022. His expertise lies in genomics, epigenetics, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, with a focus on single-cell analysis, spatial omics, and bioinformatics.

Research Focus: Dr. Chen's work spans multiple disciplines, including:

• Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
• DNA methylation and epigenetic reprogramming
• Cancer genomics and mutation detection
• Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance
• COVID-19 genomics and virology
• Environmental toxicology and health disparities

He has contributed to high-profile projects such as the FDA Sequencing Quality Control Consortium II and NIH-funded studies on maternal e-cigarette exposure and brain development. His research has been published in leading journals including Nature Biotechnology, Genome Biology, iScience, and Scientific Reports.

Grants and Collaborations: Dr. Chen serves as Co-Investigator on an NIH-funded project on maternal e-cigarette exposure and brain development (2023–2028). He has also led or contributed to internal and external grants on genetic disorders, COVID-19 genomics, and dietary interventions.

He is a key member of the LLU Center for Genomics, where he oversees raw data generation and quality control for NGS workflows, ensuring high standards in sequencing and analysis.