Chen Yuan

Biography

He received his Ph.D. degree in Virologyfrom Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Science in 1999. He completed hispostdoctoral training at the Universityof Pennsylvania during 2001 to2003. From 2003to 2007, he worked as Research Assistant and Staff Scientist at Medical School of Thomas Jefferson University.In 2007, he joined Zhongshan school of Medicine, SYSUwhere he went through the rank to Professor.So far, Dr. Chen’s research is focused on the molecular mechanism of synaptic plasticityin neuron, particularly, the roles of functional postsynaptic proteinsinteraction in determining sorting and trafficking of AMAP and NMDA receptors. These include: (a) how such interactions can be regulated, e.g. phosphorylation, (b) how such interactions may contribute to synaptogenesis; and (c) potential roles of these interactions in synaptic plasticity.Biochemical and functional characterization of several postsynaptic proteinse.g. PDLIM5 and Endophilinare in progress using combined approaches of molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, electrophysiology and fluorescence imaging. Dr. Chenhas published several articlesin international journals. These articles appear in Cell, Nature Neuroscience, Journal of Neuroscience, Cellular Signalling, etc.

Research Interest

His groundbreaking contributions include the following: 1) Endophilin is a novelcalcium sensor in SV endocytosis, and by coupling tightly to both the exocytotic and endocytotic machineries, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are uniquely positioned to coordinate the SV recycling process. 2) Formation of PKCε–ENH–N-type Ca2+ channel complex allows rapidand selective modulation of the channel activity by PKC inneurons, and one of LIM domainsin the ENH plays the unique role in formation of this complex.