Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
Professor
Boston University College of Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

MD, Harvard University
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BA, Harvard University



Dr. Chen is the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor at Boston University, director of the Tissue Microfabrication Laboratory, and founding director of the Biological Design Center at Boston University. He has been an instrumental figure in the development of engineered cellular microenvironments to understand and control how cells build tissues. The goal of Dr. Chen’s research is to identify the underlying mechanisms by which cells interact with materials and each other to build tissues, and to apply this knowledge to the biology and engineering of stem cells, tissue vascularization, connective tissues, and cancer. He has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Angiogenesis Foundation Fellowship, the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the Mary Hulman George Award for Biomedical Research, the Herbert W. Dickerman Award For Outstanding Contribution to Science, and the Robert A. Pritzker Award. He serves a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and as a member of the Faculty of 1000 Biology, the Board of Trustees for the Society for BioMEMS and Biomedical Nanotechnology, and Defense Sciences Study Group.

He received his A.B. in Biochemistry from Harvard, M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and Ph.D. in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics from the Harvard-MIT. Health Sciences and Technology Program. He earned his M.D. from the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chen previously was Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering and in Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, and the Skirkanich Professor of Innovation and founding director of the Center for Engineering Cells and Regeneration at the University of Pennsylvania.


NRT-URoL: A Convergent Training Program on Biological Control
08/01/2023 - 07/31/2028 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
DGE-2244366

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Directed Multiscale Assembly of Cellular Metamaterials with Nanoscale Precision: CELL-MET
10/01/2017 - 09/30/2027 (Co-Investigator)
National Science Foundation
EEC-1647837

Synthetic vascularization and regeneration in engineered tissues
09/01/2023 - 08/31/2027 (Multi-PI)
PI: Christopher Chen, MD, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering
5R01EB033821-02

Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechano-Biology
10/01/2016 - 09/30/2026 (Subcontract PI)
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania National Science Fdn
CMMI-1548571

NSF/FDA SiR: Development of a High Throughput Electrical Stimulation Screening Platform for Cardiac Microphysiological Systems
09/01/2024 - 08/31/2026 (PI)
National Science Foundation
CBET-2426759

Showing 10 of 81 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2024 Synthetic vascularization and regeneration in engineered tissues 5R01EB033821-02
2024 Defining Genetic Architecture and Pathways of DCM 5R01HL080494-16
2023 Synthetic vascularization and regeneration in engineered tissues 1R01EB033821-01
2023 Local Regulation of Angiogenesis by Microenvironment 5R01EB000262-23
2023 Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology (SB2) Predoctoral Training Program 5T32GM130546-05
2023 Defining Genetic Architecture and Pathways of DCM 5R01HL080494-15
2022 Local Regulation of Angiogenesis by Microenvironment 5R01EB000262-22
2022 Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology (SB2) Predoctoral Training Program 5T32GM130546-04
2022 Notch signaling and adhesion regulation 5R01HL147585-04
2022 Defining Genetic Architecture and Pathways of DCM 5R01HL080494-14
Showing 10 of 79 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Ching T, van Steen ACI, Gray-Scherr D, Teo JL, Vasan A, Jeon J, Shah J, Patel A, Stoddard AE, Bays JL, Eyckmans J, Chen CS. TapeTech microfluidic connectors: adhesive tape-enabled solution for organ-on-a-chip system integration. Lab Chip. 2025 Mar 11; 25(6):1474-1488.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39907088; PMCID: PMC11795533; DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00970c;
     
  2. Pandian NKR, Farell A, Davis E, Sundaram S, van Steen ACI, Chang Teo JL, Eyckmans J, Chen CS. Three-dimensional modeling of flow through microvascular beds and surrounding interstitial spaces. bioRxiv. 2025 Feb 15.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39990367; PMCID: PMC11844386; DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.28.582152;
     
  3. Tran JC, Kuffner CJ, Marzilli AM, Miller RE, Silfen ZE, McMahan JB, Sloas DC, Chen CS, Ngo JT. Fluorescein-based SynNotch adaptors for regulating gene expression responses to diverse extracellular and matrix-based cues. Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 20; 16(1):852.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39833147; PMCID: PMC11756391; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56148-7;
     
  4. Kim Y, Kim SW, Saul D, Neyazi M, Schmid M, Wakimoto H, Slaven N, Lee JH, Layton O, Wasson LK, Letendre JH, Xiao F, Ewoldt JK, Gkatzis K, Sommer P, Gobert B, Wiest-Daesslé N, McAfee Q, Singhal N, Lun M, Gorham JM, Arany Z, Sharma A, Toepfer CN, Oudit GY, Pu WT, Dickel DE, Pennacchio LA, Visel A, Chen CS, Seidman JG, Seidman CE. Regulation of sarcomere formation and function in the healthy heart requires a titin intronic enhancer. J Clin Invest. 2024 Dec 17; 135(4). PMID: 39688912; PMCID: PMC11827849; DOI: 10.1172/JCI183353;
     
  5. Sundaram S, Lee JH, Bjørge IM, Michas C, Kim S, Lammers A, Mano JF, Eyckmans J, White AE, Chen CS. Sacrificial capillary pumps to engineer multiscalar biological forms. Nature. 2024 Dec; 636(8042):361-367.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39663490
     
  6. DePalma SJ, Jilberto J, Stis AE, Huang DD, Lo J, Davidson CD, Chowdhury A, Kent RN, Jewett ME, Kobeissi H, Chen CS, Lejeune E, Helms AS, Nordsletten DA, Baker BM. Matrix Architecture and Mechanics Regulate Myofibril Organization, Costamere Assembly, and Contractility in Engineered Myocardial Microtissues. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024 Dec; 11(47):e2309740. PMID: 39558513; PMCID: PMC11653763; DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309740;
     
  7. Ewoldt JK, DePalma SJ, Jewett ME, Karakan MÇ, Lin YM, Mir Hashemian P, Gao X, Lou L, McLellan MA, Tabares J, Ma M, Salazar Coariti AC, He J, Toussaint KC, Bifano TG, Ramaswamy S, White AE, Agarwal A, Lejeune E, Baker BM, Chen CS. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte in vitro models: benchmarking progress and ongoing challenges. Nat Methods. 2025 Jan; 22(1):24-40.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39516564
     
  8. Uroz M, Stoddard AE, Sutherland BP, Courbot O, Oria R, Li L, Ravasio CR, Ngo MT, Yang J, Tefft JB, Eyckmans J, Han X, Elosegui-Artola A, Weaver VM, Chen CS. Differential stiffness between brain vasculature and parenchyma promotes metastatic infiltration through vessel co-option. Nat Cell Biol. 2024 Dec; 26(12):2144-2153.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39448802
     
  9. Ewoldt JK, Wang MC, McLellan MA, Cloonan PE, Chopra A, Gorham J, Li L, DeLaughter DM, Gao X, Lee JH, Willcox JAL, Layton O, Luu RJ, Toepfer CN, Eyckmans J, Seidman CE, Seidman JG, Chen CS. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-associated mutations drive stromal activation via EGFR-mediated paracrine signaling. Sci Adv. 2024 Oct 18; 10(42):eadi6927.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39413182; PMCID: PMC11482324; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6927;
     
  10. Kobeissi H, Gao X, DePalma SJ, Ewoldt JK, Wang MC, Das SL, Jilberto J, Nordsletten D, Baker BM, Chen CS, Lejeune E. MicroBundlePillarTrack: A Python package for automated segmentation, tracking, and analysis of pillar deflection in cardiac microbundles. ArXiv. 2024 Aug 15. PMID: 39184538; PMCID: PMC11343223
     
Showing 10 of 266 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 266 publications over 24 distinct years, with a maximum of 22 publications in 2013

YearPublications
20024
20034
20049
20058
20064
200712
20088
20099
201011
201113
201216
201322
201421
201512
201613
201715
201812
201911
202012
202116
20227
20237
202417
20253

2019 The Charles DeLisi Lecture Award
2019 The Charles DeLisi Lecture Award
2019 The Biomedical Engineering Society Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecture Award
2010 The George H. Heilmeier Faculty Award for Excellence in Researc
2006 MicroTAS: Scientific Advisory Board
2005 Biomedical Engineering Society: Scientific Advisory Board
2004 The Herbert W. Dickerman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Science
2003-2005 Defense Sciences Research Council: fellow
2002 The Mary Hulman George Award for Biomedical Research
2001-2002 SmallTalk: Scientific Committee Member
2000 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
2000 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
2000 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
1999 ONR Young Investigator Award
1997 Angiogenesis Foundation Fellowship
1994-1995 Health Sciences and Technology Research Fund Award
1993-1997 Medical Engineering and Medical Physics Fellow
1991-1993 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow
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