Allen Chen
Education:
B.S., General Biology, University of California, San Diego (2014)
M.S., Biology, University of California, San Diego (2015)
Current Position:
8th Year MSTP
4th Year Medical Student
Advisor:
Shaoyu Ge, PhD
Qiaojie Xiong, PhD
Graduate Program:
Program in Neuroscience
Research Interest:
I am interested in studying the neural circuit and neuromodulatory mechanisms that govern cognitive-sensory behaviors, which underlie neuropsychiatric disease. My thesis research focuses on perceptual decision-making, which underlies our basic capabilities to respond to the environment with appropriate actions and is dysfunctional in multiple diseases such as Parkinson’s and schizophrenia. Using in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetics, and other systems neuroscience techniques, I explored dopaminergic and striatal neural circuit function in auditory discrimination. My data indicates that dopamine regulates striatal sub-compartments for auditory discrimination. Furthermore, dopamine modulates auditory neural representation and neuronal learning within the posterior auditory striatum. Using patient-level data, I am additionally interested in using quantitative techniques to understand brain disorders at behavioral and epidemiological levels.
Awards/Honors at Stony Brook:
2023 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Travel Award
2022 Outstanding Future Physician-Scientist by SBU MSTP
2022 NIH Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Award Program (OSNAP)
2021 Best Talk/Oral Presentation Award, 40th Annual SBU MSTP Retreat
2021 St. Jude’s Graduate Research Symposium
2021 Sigma Xi Research Honor Society
2020 SBU Graduate Student Organization Distinguished Travel Award
2019 NIH-NIDCD NRSA F30 Research Fellowship
2018 SBU Outstanding Undergraduate Biology Teaching Award
2017 Stony Brook Medicine Academic Merit Award
Selected Publications:
Chen A.P., Chen L., Shi K.W., Cheng E., Ge S., Xiong Q. (2023). Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nature Communications, 14(1), 7231. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9
Chen A.P., Malgady, J.M., Chen, L., Shi, K.W., Cheng, E., Plotkin, J.L., Ge S., Xiong, Q. (2022). Nigrostriatal dopamine pathway regulates auditory discrimination behavior. Nature Communications, 13(1), 5942. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-33747-2
Chen A.P., Ismail Z., Mann F.D., Bromet E.J., Clouston S.A., Luft B.J. (2023). Behavioral Impairments and Increased Risk of Cortical Atrophy Risk Scores Among World Trade Center Responders. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/08919887231195234
Chen, A.P., Chea, L., Lee, E.J., & Lin, J.H. (2023). Lysine Ubiquitylation Drives Rhodopsin Protein Turnover. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1415, 493–498.
Chen A.P., Clouston S.A., Kritikos M., Richmond L., Meliker J., Mann F.D., Santiago-Michels S., Pellechia A., Carr M., Kuan P., Bromet E.J., Luft B. (2021). A deep learning approach for monitoring parietal-dominant Alzheimer's disease in World Trade Center responders at midlife. Brain Communications, 3(3), fcab145. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcab145
Chen A.P., Chen, L., Kim, T.A., & Xiong, Q. (2021). Integrating the Roles of Midbrain Dopamine Circuits in Behavior and Neuropsychiatric Disease. Biomedicines, 9(6), 647.
Kéry, R., Chen A.P., Kirschen G.W. (2020). Genetic targeting of astrocytes to combat neurodegenerative disease. Neural Regeneration Research, 15(2):199-211.
Chen A.P., Kéry, R., Ge S. (2018). Genetic targeting of astrocytes in the gliovascular unit of the adult brain. Journal of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, 2(3):21-25.
Selected Conference Abstracts/Invited Talks:
Chea L, Chen A.P., Chan P, Lee G, Lin J. (2022, May 1-4) Lysine Ubiquitylation in P23H Rhodopsin Protein Degradation. [Poster]. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Denver, CO.
Chen A.P., Ismail Z., Mann F.D., Bromet E.J., Clouston S.A., Luft B. (2022, May 27-29). Behavioral and sensory impairments in parietal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease [Virtual Poster]. Society of Biological Psychiatry.
Chen A.P., Malgady J., Chen L., Shi K., Cheng E., Zeto A. Plotkin JL, Ge S., Xiong Q. (2022, March 22). Nigrostriatal dopamine pathway regulates auditory discrimination behavior [Virtual Talk]. Electronic Auditory Research Seminar Series (E.A.R.S.). https://sites.google.com/view/ears2020/home
Chen A.P., Malgady J., Chen L., Shi K., Cheng E., Zeto A. Plotkin JL, Ge S., Xiong Q. (2021, December 08.). Striatal dopamine regulates auditory discrimination [Poster]. American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2021, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Chen A.P., Kirschen GW, Strandt J., Ahamad A., Schwartz NU., Obeid L., Mao C., Ge S. (2020, July 9-11.). Rejuvenating hippocampal neurogenesis in the aged brain via manipulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate metabolism [Virtual Poster]. 36 th National MD- PhD Student Conference, Boulder, CO.
Chen A.P., Kirschen GW, Strandt J., Ahamad A., Schwartz NU., Obeid L., Mao C., Ge S. (2018, November 3-7.). Age and experience-dependent hippocampal neurogenesis is regulated by sphingosine 1-phosphate [Poster]. Society for Neuroscience: Neuroscience 2018, San Diego, CA.
