Profile
Yi-Wei Chen, M.S., Ph.D.
- 310-825-4607
UCLA School of Dentistry
10833 Le Conte Ave.
Box 951668
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668
Yi-Wei Chen received a B.S. and a M.S. degree in Marine Biotechnology and Resources in 2009 and 2011 from National Sun Yat-Sen University (NSYSU), Taiwan. He then earned his Ph.D. degree in Basic Medical Sciences in 2018 from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan. His graduate work focused on the mechanism of pathogenesis of Aeromonas dhakensis which leads to soft tissue necrotizing fasciitis utilizing Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. Dr. Chen was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, before matriculating to the School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a Postdoctoral Scholar in 2019. His work focused on the pathogenesis of the oral commensal Fusobacterium nucleatum in promoting cancer and preterm-birth development. He joined the faculty in 2023 as an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Division of Biosystems and Function at UCLA School of Dentistry. His research currently focuses on the role regulation of hydrogen sulfide plays in the virulence potential of F. nucleatum in different diseases.
- Yi-Wei Chen, Martha I. Camacho, Yimin Chen, Aadil H. Bhat, Chungyu Chang, Emily A. Peluso, Chenggang Wu, Asis Das, and Hung Ton-That*. Genetic determinants of hydrogen sulfidebiosynthesis in Fusobacterium nucleatum are required for bacterial fitness, antibiotic sensitivity, and virulence. mBio. 2022. DOI:10.1128/mbio.01936-22.
- Matthew Scheible, Cuong T. Nguyen, Truc Thanh Luong, Ju Huck Lee, Yi-Wei Chen, Chungyu Chang, Manuel Wittchen, Martha I. Camacho, Bethany L. Tiner, Chenggang Wu, Andreas Tauch, Asis Das, and Hung Ton-That*. The fused methionine sulfoxide reductase MsrAB promotes oxidative stress defense and bacterial virulence in Fusobacterium nucleatum. mBio. 2022, e03022-21.
- Chenggang Wu, Yi-Wei Chen, Matthew Scheible, Chungyu Chang, Manuel Wittchen, Ju Huck Lee, Truc T Luong, Bethany L Tiner, Andreas Tauch, Asis Das, and Hung Ton-That*. Genetic and molecular determinants of polymicrobial interactions in Fusobacterium nucleatum. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021, 118.23.
- Truc Thanh Luong†, Minh Tan Nguyen†, Yi-Wei Chen†, Chungyu Chang, Ju Huck Lee, Manuel Wittchen, HyLam Ton-That, Melissa Cruz, Danielle A. Garsin, Asis Das, Andreas Tauch, and Hung Ton-That*. Ribonuclease J-mediated mRNA turnover modulates cell shape, metabolism and virulence in Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Microorganisms. 2021, 9.2:389.
- Yi-Wei Chen, Wen-Hsuan Yeh, Hung-Jen Tang, Jenn-Wei Chen, Hung-Yu Shu, Yu-Chen Su, Sin-Tian Wang, Cheng-Ju Kuo, Yin-Ching Chuang, Chi-Chung Chen, Wen-Chien Ko, Chang-Shi Chen, and Po-Lin Chen*. UvrY is required for the full virulence of Aeromonas dhakensis. Virulence, 2020, 11.1:502-20.
- Yi-Wei Chen*, and Hung Ton-That*. Corynebacterium diphtheriae virulence analyses using a Caenorhabditis elegans model. Current Protocols in Microbiology. 2020, 58.1: e109.
- Yi-Wei Chen, Wen-Chien Ko, Chang-Shi Chen, and Po-Lin Chen*. Evaluating virulence and pathogenesis of Aeromonas infection in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. J. Vis. Exp. 2018, 142:e58768.
- Yi-Wei Chen, Wen-Chien Ko, Chang-Shi Chen*, and Po-Lin Chen*. “RIOK-1 is a suppressor of the p38 MAPK innate immune pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. Frontiers in Immunology. 2018, 9:774.
- Po-Lin Chen†, Yi-Wei Chen†, Chun-Chun Ou, Tzer-Min Lee, Chi-Jung Wu, Wen-Chien Ko, and Chang-Shi Chen*. A disease model of muscle necrosis caused by Aeromonas dhakensis infection in Caenorhabditis elegans. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2017, 7:2058.
- Invited Speaker, 2017 11th International Symposium on Aerommonas and Plesiomonas, 1h (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Lecturer, 2016, 2017, and 2018 C. elegans Genetics and Nomenclature, 2h (NCKU)
- Seminar, 2022 CEE 200, 1h (UCLA)
B.S., Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, NSYSU, Taiwan 2009
M.S., Institute of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, NSYSU, Taiwan 2011
Ph.D., Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, NCKU, Taiwan 2018
Bacterial infectious disease- Oral commensal-turned pathogen in oral and colorectal cancer
Host-Pathogen interaction- Fusobacterium as the target pathogen
- Best Poster Award, Asia-Pacific C. elegans Meeting, Seoul, Korea, 2018
- Travel Awards, Asia-Pacific C. elegans Meeting, Seoul, Korea, 2018
- Travel Awards, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, 2018
- Travel Awards, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2018
- Oral Presentation Awards, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2018
- Travel Awards, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, 2017
- Travel Awards, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2017
- Travel Awards, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2014
- Admission Scholarship, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2013
- Columbus Awards, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan, 2011