Assistant Staff
Email: [email protected]
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Arthropod-borne viruses re-emerge globally to cause disease in humans, resulting in new, explosive epidemics. The Chen lab studies arboviral pathogenesis, with a focus on how viruses cause debilitating bone pathologies in humans by dysregulating bone biology and causing abnormal calcifications and inflammatory arthritis.
Javier’s research interest focuses on the molecular mechanisms of arboviral pathogenesis and immune responses of viral diseases that re-emerge to cause explosive outbreaks. These viruses include chikungunya virus, dengue and Zika virus. Javier has published in top tier scientific journals and made several significant findings on how viruses cause debilitating bone pathologies in humans by dysregulating bone biology and immunology.
Javier completed his PhD in the Institute for Glycomics at the Griffith University (2011-2015) on investigating the interplay between arthritogenic alphaviruses and inflammatory arthritis. During his PhD, Javier is the recipient of the Australian NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Fellowship in Biomedical Science (Declined). Javier spent 2016-2021 as Postdoctoral Research Fellow under Dr. Jae U Jung, where he is trained in both molecular biology and viral genetic analysis to study Zika virus (ZIKV)-induced craniofacial birth defects and pathogenesis.
In 2020, Javier received the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH NIDCR). Currently, he is appointed Assistant Staff in the Infection Biology Program, Global Center for Pathogens & Human Health Research, Cleveland Clinic.
Education and Training
Research Associate - Cleveland Clinic
Cancer Biology
Cleveland, OH USA
2022
Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Southern California
Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
Los Angeles, CA USA
2020
PhD in Medical Science - Griffith University
Institute for Glycomics
Gold Coast, QLD Australia
2015
Bachelor of Science (Honors) - University of Western Australia
Biomedical Science and Microbiology
Perth, WA Australia
2011
Diploma in Molecular Biotechnology - Nanyang Polytechnic Singapore
Singapore
2004
Honors and Awards
Dr. Chen’s research is focused on viral-induced pathological calcifications, specifically the molecular mechanisms of how prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection results in fetal brain calcification and cranial skull defects. A second arm of Dr. Chen’s research will be focused on defining how alphavirus infections, such as Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), lead to persistent inflammatory arthritis. The Chen lab will couple molecular virology and in vivo preclinical ZIKV and CHIKV models to dissect virus-host interactions and validate findings using patient-derived tissues through comprehensive analyses at proteomics and transcriptomics level. Dr. Chen’s research will reveal new insights to viral-induced bone pathogenesis and potential intervention strategies to treat viral-induced fetal defects and viral bone pathologies.
View publications for Weiqiang (Javier) Chen, PhD
(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Our education and training programs offer hands-on experience at one of the nationʼs top hospitals. Travel, publish in high impact journals and collaborate with investigators to solve real-world biomedical research questions.
Learn MoreSARS-CoV-2 triggers bone inflammation and breakdown, especially in individuals with autoimmune diseases.
A protein made by SARS-CoV-2 can pass through the placenta and cause serious inflammatory immune responses in the fetus for 66% of pregnancies.
These findings challenge the current diagnostic criteria for congenital Zika syndrome, expanding the definition beyond skull or brain abnormalities.
Dr. Javier Chen is spearheading groundbreaking research in infection biology, securing grants and publishing top-tier papers to pioneer proactive measures against future outbreaks.