Mentor Areas
My research mainly focuses on stem cell biology and stem cell-based therapy in craniofacial and immunological diseases. My laboratory is interested in the fundamental aspects of how skeletal- and craniofacial-derived stem cells function, as well as the practical aspects of manipulating these systems by using animal models and tissue engineering approaches for disease intervention. My group is investigating how small vesicles are controlled by a set of membrane traffic proteins for cell component reuse in stem cell-based therapy. We are also interested in bone biology and the role of stem cells in bone/marrow homeostasis. We focuses on aging, which leads a deterioration of the physiological systems and is a paradigmatic example of homeostasis collapse. Currently, my lab is also involved in oral cancer research to identify the physiological roles of cancer stem cells, stromal populations, and immune components in tumor microenvironment.
Description:
Reconstruction of critical hard/soft tissue defects has always been challenging due to the complex structure, activated inflammation, and fibrotic scar formation during regeneration of damaged tissues. Recently, we showed that MSC-derived exosomes are capable of transporting active proteins and microRNAs to communicate with the surrounding cells. Our goal is to investigate how small vesicles are controlled by a set of membrane traffic proteins for cell component reuse in stem cell transplantation. In this project, a student researcher will have the opportunity to learn cellular and molecular techniques including tissue culture, immunohistostains, immunoblotting, and microscopy, as well as data collection and analysis. The student will work in a team of senior scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.
Preferred Qualifications
Basic training of molecular biology and biochemistry.
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. https://www.dental.upenn.edu/faculty/chider-chen/
Details:
Preferred Student Year
First-year, Second-Year, Junior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.