Yabing Chen, Ph.D., MBA, FAHA

  • Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine
  • Vice Chair for Research

Biography

Dr. Yabing Chen is currently Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Before relocating to Portland, she held the position of Professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Education in the Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she was also the Jay M. McDonald Endowed Chair in Laboratory Medicine and a research career scientist at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.

Over her 20-year tenure at UAB (2004-2024), Dr. Chen developed multidisciplinary research programs focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype in vascular calcification, aging, and vascular dementia. She has published over 80 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, and her research has received continuous support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), VA, and the American Heart Association (AHA). Dr. Chen’s contributions to vascular biology have been recognized with the Vascular Biology Special Recognition Award from the AHA Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology (ATVB) and the “Senior Research Career Scientist Awardfrom the VA, as well as frequent invitations to speak and chair scientific sessions at leading scientific conferences and academic institutions. 

Dr. Chen has also contributed to the institution's shared governance and transparency in administration, research and teaching by serving on numerous committees across UAB, school of medicine and graduate school. Dr. Chen directed the Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine Graduate Theme in the Graduate Biomedical Science program from 2015-2020. As the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Education, Dr. Chen played an active role in recruitment, training and career development of trainees and faculty at all career stages. Her contributions to service and education have earned her the UAB Graduate School Deans Award for Excellence in Mentorship (2016), UAB School of Medicine Dean's Excellence Award for Mentorship (2019), and UAB Faculty Senate Outstanding Committee Member Award (2019).

Dr. Chen serves on the editorial board for Circulation ResearchArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB), and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.  She is currently the ATVB review editor. She has served on several NIH, VA and AHA grant review panels and the Vascular Cell and Molecular Biology (VCMB) study section.  Dr. Chen is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and Chair of the ATVB Committee on Scientific Sessions Program of the AHA. She recently received the ATVB Woman’s Leadership Committee Award for Outstanding Mentorship of Woman (2024).

Dr. Chen is poised to continue to expand collaborations with OHSU research community and grow the research portfolio of the Department of Pathology.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • Ph.D., 1997, Xiamen University
    • B.Sc., 1988, Fudan University
    • M.B.A., 2001, University of Vermont

Memberships and associations:

  • American Heart Association, Fellow, 2009‐present
  • Council for Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 1997‐present
  • American Association for Cancer Research, 2005‐2019
  • American Association for Cancer Research, 2005‐2019
  • American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2006‐present
  • American Society of Nephrology, 2008‐present
  • International Association of Dental Research, 2010‐present
  • American Society for Investigation Pathology, 2015‐present

Areas of interest

  • Pan-vascular pathology in the development of cardiovascular disease and aging
  • Molecular regulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) phenotype and differentiation
  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying VSMC calcification in the development of atherosclerosis, diabetic vasculopathy and aging
  • Vascular contribution to cognitive impairments and dementia in mice and human
  • Translational animal models of human cardiovascular diseases and dementia

Honors and awards

  • Outstanding Mentorship of Woman Award, AHA/ATVB Woman’s Leadership Committee, 2024
  • Senior Research Career Scientist Award, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2021
  • UAB, School of Medicine Dean's Excellence Award for Mentorship, 2019
  • UAB, Outstanding Faculty Senate Committee Member Award, 2019
  • Vascular Biology Special Recognition Award, American Heart Association, Council on Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, 2018
  • Best Paper Award, The Science Unbound Foundation, 2017
  • Top Reviewer Award, ATVB journal, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Research Career Scientist Award, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016
  • UAB, Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship, 2016
  • Fellow of American Heart Association (FAHA), 2009

Publications

Elsevier pure profile

Selected publications

  • (10 from a total of 81 publications)
  • 1. Zhang W, Sun Y, Yang YF, Chen Y. Impaired intracellular calcium homeostasis enhances protein O-GlcNAcylation and promotes vascular calcification and stiffness in diabetes. Redox Biology 2023 Jul;63:102720. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102720. Epub 2023 May 17. PMID: 37230005 Free PMC article.
  • 2. Sutton NR, Malhotra R, St Hilaire C, Aikawa E, Blumenthal RS, Gackenbach G, Goyal P, Johnson A, Nigwekar SU, Shanahan CM, Towler DA, Wolford BN, Chen Y. Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Health: Insights From Vascular Aging and Calcification. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. Epub 2022 Nov 22.  doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.317332. PMID: 36412195. PMCID: PMC9793888
  • 3. Li Z, Zhao Z, Cai Z, Sun Y, Li L, Yao F, Yang L, Zhou Y, Zhu H, Fu Y, Wang L, Fang W*, Chen Y*, Kong W*. Runx2 (Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2)-Mediated Microcalcification Is a Novel Pathological Characteristic and Potential Mediator of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.  Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020, 40(5):1352-1369. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.314113. PMID:32212850
  • 4. Chen Y, Zhao X, Wu H. Arterial Stiffness: A Focus on Vascular Calcification and Its Link to Bone Mineralization. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020, 40(5):1078-1093. doi: 10.1161/ ATVBAHA.120.313131. PMID. 32237904
  • 5. Sun Y, Byon CH, Yang Y, Bradley WE, Dell'Italia LJ, Sanders PW, Agarwal A, Wu H, Chen Y. Dietary potassium regulates vascular calcification and arterial stiffness. JCI Insight. 2017 Oct 5;2(19). PMID: 28978809  -- Editor's pick -- Highlighted in JCI This Month -- Top-read paper with views over 11,500 within first week         
  • 6. Deng L, Huang L, Sun Y, Heath JM, Wu H, Chen Y. Inhibition of FOXO1/3 promotes vascular calcification. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2015 35(1):175-83. PMID 25378413
  • 7. Heath J, Sun Y, Yuan K, Bradley WE, Litovsky S, Dell'italia LJ, Chatham JC, Wu H, Chen Y. Activation of AKT by O-GlcNAcylation Induces Vascular Calcification in Diabetes. Circ Res. 2014 Mar 28;114(7):1094-102. PMID:24526702  -- An Editor's pick -- Published with an accompanying editorial -- A most often read paper in Circ Res journal in Aug 2014
  • 8. Sun Y, Byon CH, Yuan K, Chen J, Mao X, Heath JM, Javed A, Zhang K, Anderson PG, Chen Y. Smooth muscle cell-specific runx2 deficiency inhibits vascular calcification. Circ Res. 2012 Aug 17;111(5):543-52. Epub 2012 Jul 6. PMID: 22773442  -- A top downloaded article in Circ Res journal in July 2012 -- Highlighted in the Circ Res Thematic Synopsis on Atherosclerosis -- Over 345 citations to date
  • 9. Byon CH, Sun Y, Chen J, Yuan K, Mao X, Heath JM, Anderson PG, Tintut Y, Demer LL, Wang D, Chen Y. Runx2-Upregulated Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor {kappa}B Ligand in Calcifying Smooth Muscle Cells Promotes Migration and Osteoclastic Differentiation of Macrophages. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2011 Jun;31(6):1387-96. Epub 2011 Mar 31. PMID: 21454810  -- Published with an accompanying editorial -- Over 185 citations to date
  • 10. Byon CH, Javed A, Dai Q, Kappes JC, Clemens TL, Darley-Usmar VM, McDonald JM, Chen Y. Oxidative stress induces vascular calcification through modulation of the osteogenic transcription factor Runx-2 by Akt signaling. J Biol Chem. 2008;283(22):15319-27. PMID: 18378684  -- A featured Article in vascular biology, selected by NAVBO in 2008 -- Over 725 citations to date

Publications

  • Biologically informed machine learning modeling of immune cells to reveal physiological and pathological aging process

    Immunity and Ageing
    1. Cangang Zhang
    2. Tao Ren
    3. Xiaofan Zhao
    4. Yanhong Su
    5. Qianhao Wang
    6. Tianzhe Zhang
    7. Boxiao He
    8. Yabing Chen
    9. Ling Yun Wu
    10. Lina Sun
    11. Baojun Zhang
    12. Zheng Xia
  • Association of Dietary Potassium Intake With Abdominal Aortic Calcification and Pulse Pressure in US Adults

    Journal of Renal Nutrition
    1. Yuping Xie
    2. Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani
    3. Yabing Chen
    4. Matthew K. Abramowitz
    5. Wei Chen
  • Cationic proteins from eosinophils bind bone morphogenetic protein receptors promoting vascular calcification and atherogenesis

    European heart journal
    1. Zhaojie Meng
    2. Shuya Zhang
    3. Wei Li
    4. Yunzhe Wang
    5. Minjie Wang
    6. Xin Liu
    7. Cong Lin Liu
    8. Sha Liao
    9. Tianxiao Liu
    10. Chongzhe Yang
    11. Jes S. Lindholt
    12. Lars M. Rasmussen
    13. Lasse M. Obel
    14. Jane Stubbe
    15. Axel C. Diederichsen
    16. Yong Sun
    17. Yabing Chen
    18. Paul B. Yu
    19. Peter Libby
    20. Guo Ping Shi
    21. Junli Guo
  • Impaired intracellular calcium homeostasis enhances protein O-GlcNAcylation and promotes vascular calcification and stiffness in diabetes

    Redox Biology
    1. Weiping Zhang
    2. Yong Sun
    3. Youfeng Yang
    4. Yabing Chen
  • MiR-9-1 controls osteoblastic regulation of lymphopoiesis

    Leukemia
    1. Yongguang Zhang
    2. Danfeng Lin
    3. Yongwei Zheng
    4. Yuhong Chen
    5. Mei Yu
    6. Dongya Cui
    7. Miaohui Huang
    8. Xinlin Su
    9. Yong Sun
    10. Yabing Chen
    11. Zhijian Qian
    12. Karen Sue Carlson
    13. Renren Wen
    14. Demin Wang
  • Dietary salt initiates redox signaling between endothelium and vascular smooth muscle through NADPH oxidase 4

    Redox Biology
    1. Kai er Ying
    2. Wenguang Feng
    3. Wei Zhong Ying
    4. Xingsheng Li
    5. Dongqi Xing
    6. Yong Sun
    7. Yabing Chen
    8. Paul W. Sanders
  • Identification of Novel Biomarkers and Pathways for Coronary Artery Calcification in Nondiabetic Patients on Hemodialysis Using Metabolomic Profiling

    Kidney360
    1. Wei Chen
    2. Jessica Fitzpatrick
    3. Stephen M. Sozio
    4. Bernard G. Jaar
    5. Michelle M. Estrella
    6. Dario F. Riascos-Bernal
    7. Tong Tong Wu
    8. Yunping Qiu
    9. Irwin J. Kurland
    10. Ruth F. Dubin
    11. Yabing Chen
    12. Rulan S. Parekh
    13. David A. Bushinsky
    14. Nicholas E.S. Sibinga
  • Methylation of dual-specificity phosphatase 4 controls cell differentiation

    Cell Reports
    1. Hairui Su
    2. Ming Jiang
    3. Chamara Senevirathne
    4. Srinivas Aluri
    5. Tuo Zhang
    6. Han Guo
    7. Juliana Xavier-Ferrucio
    8. Shuiling Jin
    9. Ngoc Tung Tran
    10. Szu Mam Liu
    11. Chiao Wang Sun
    12. Yongxia Zhu
    13. Qing Zhao
    14. Yuling Chen
    15. Lou Ann Cable
    16. Yudao Shen
    17. Jing Liu
    18. Cheng Kui Qu
    19. Xiaosi Han
    20. Christopher A. Klug
    21. Ravi Bhatia
    22. Yabing Chen
    23. Stephen D. Nimer
    24. Y. George Zheng
    25. Camelia Iancu-Rubin
    26. Jian Jin
    27. Haiteng Deng
    28. Diane S. Krause
    29. Jenny Xiang
    30. Amit Verma
    31. Minkui Luo
    32. Xinyang Zhao
  • Transcriptional programming in arteriosclerotic,disease; A Multifaceted Function of the Runx2 (Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2)

    Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology
    1. Yabing Chen
    2. Xinyang Zhao
    3. Hui Wu
  • Regulation of pancreatic cancer TRAIL resistance by protein O-GlcNAcylation

    Laboratory Investigation
    1. Shan zhong Yang
    2. Fei Xu
    3. Kaiyu Yuan
    4. Yong Sun
    5. Tong Zhou
    6. Xinyang Zhao
    7. Jay M. McDonald
    8. Yabing Chen
  • Runx2 (Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2)-Mediated Microcalcification Is a Novel Pathological Characteristic and Potential Mediator of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

    Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology
    1. Zhiqing Li
    2. Zuoquan Zhao
    3. Zeyu Cai
    4. Yong Sun
    5. Li Li
    6. Fang Yao
    7. Liu Yang
    8. Yuan Zhou
    9. Haibo Zhu
    10. Yi Fu
    11. Li Wang
    12. Wei Fang
    13. Yabing Chen
    14. Wei Kong
  • Cytoplasmic PARP-1 promotes pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis and resistance

    International Journal of Cancer
    1. Fei Xu
    2. Yong Sun
    3. Shan Zhong Yang
    4. Tong Zhou
    5. Nirag Jhala
    6. Jay McDonald
    7. Yabing Chen
  • AKT-independent activation of p38 MAP kinase promotes vascular calcification

    Redox Biology
    1. Youfeng Yang
    2. Yong Sun
    3. Jianye Chen
    4. Wayne E. Bradley
    5. Louis J. Dell'Italia
    6. Hui Wu
    7. Yabing Chen
  • Defining the epigenetic status of blood cells using a cyanine-based fluorescent probe for PRMT1

    Blood Advances
    1. Hairui Su
    2. Chiao Wang Sun
    3. Szu Mam Liu
    4. Xin He
    5. Hao Hu
    6. Kevin M. Pawlik
    7. Tim M. Townes
    8. Xiaosi Han
    9. Christopher A. Klug
    10. Maged Henary
    11. Yabing Chen
    12. Ling Li
    13. Y. George Zheng
    14. Xinyang Zhao
  • Dietary potassium regulates vascular calcification and arterial stiffness

    JCI Insight
    1. Yong Sun
    2. Chang Hyun Byon
    3. Youfeng Yang
    4. Wayne E. Bradley
    5. Louis J. Dell’Italia
    6. Paul W. Sanders
    7. Anupam Agarwal
    8. Hui Wu
    9. Yabing Chen
  • The interplay between calmodulin and membrane interactions with the pleckstrin homology domain of akt

    Journal of Biological Chemistry
    1. Constance Agamasu
    2. Ruba H. Ghanam
    3. Fei Xu
    4. Yong Sun
    5. Yabing Chen
    6. Jamil S. Saad
  • The long non-coding RNA HOTAIR enhances pancreatic cancer resistance to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand

    Journal of Biological Chemistry
    1. Shan zhong Yang
    2. Fei Xu
    3. Tong Zhou
    4. Xinyang Zhao
    5. Jay M. McDonald
    6. Yabing Chen
  • Identification of initial leads directed at the calmodulin-binding region on the Src-SH2 domain that exhibit anti-proliferation activity against pancreatic cancer

    Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters
    1. Ywh Min Tzou
    2. Sarah K. Bailey
    3. Kaiyu Yuan
    4. Ronald Shin
    5. Wei Zhang
    6. Yabing Chen
    7. Raj K. Singh
    8. Lalita A. Shevde
    9. N. Rama Krishna