Ongoing Projects:
- Gene Regulation and Phagocytosis of Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease, focusing on Early Stage of Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment
- The Role of Microglia in Schizophrenia
- Genetic Risk Modeling for Schizophrenia Prediction and Subtyping
- Genetic Relationship between Schizophrenia and Autoimmune Disorders
Research Interests:
Dr. Jingchun Chen’s research focuses on the genetic study of psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar, nicotine dependence, etc.) and comorbid disorders such as autoimmune disorders, lung cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, we have established a microglia cellular model from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Using this novel cellular model, along with other advanced genetic techniques, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), we plan to explore the immune mechanisms, especially microglia, in several brain disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal is to find unique molecular markers for earlier diagnosis and discover potential therapeutic targets for better control of these disorders.
We also work on a genetic prediction model with genetic information, clinical and behavioral data for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Our goal is to generate a model with better prediction.
Multi-disciplinary Approaches:
Our research utilizes multi-disciplinary approaches, such as molecular biological techniques, functional cellular models, bioinformatics, biostatistics, and next-generation sequencing. We are investigating how genetic variants, sex, or neuroinflammation contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders.
