Qin M Chen, PhD

Cancer Biology Program
Qin M Chen, PhD

Biography

Dr. Chen studied mechanisms of cell injury as a graduate student at Clarkson University. As a post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Bruce N. Ames at the University of California Berkeley, Dr. Chen discovered that cells can survive oxidative stress but develop hypertrophy with an increased ratio of protein to DNA. Dr. Chen joined the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arizona in 1997 and rising to an Associate Professor with tenure in 2002, where she has been comprehensively studying cellular and molecular events initiated by oxidative stress.

Cancer Focus

The Nrf2 transcription factor stands out as the key controller for cellular defenses and is mutated in a wide spectrum of cancers.  Dr. Chen’s laboratory has made important discoveries regarding the basic biology of de novo Nrf2 protein translation and 2) Nrf2-mediated protection of mitochondria. With Trans-Omics and bioinformatic approaches, Chen is investigating the expression landscape, expression quantitative trait, and genetic variations that affect the outcome of oxidative stress. By better basic mechanisms regulating responses to oxidative stress, we can will define how tumor cells responses to increased oxidative stress are modulated.