George Chen

The goal of my research is to define the role and mechanisms of chromatin modification in the development, function, and disorders of the brain. Dynamic gene regulation drives processes of patterning and cognition, coordinated by the interplay of regulatory DNA, transcription factors, chromatin modifiers, and three-dimensional structural interactions. Perturbations to chromatin regulation are among the most common causal factors in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), collectively referred to as chromatinopathies. My current research integrates genetics and neuroscience, experimental and computational approaches to identify areas of convergence and divergence in neurodevelopment at cellular and molecular levels across chromatinopathies, with a particular focus on Kleefstra Syndrome (EHMT1), KMT2C-related syndrome (KMT2C), and Kabuki Syndrome (KMT2D). The long-term vision for my research is to use patient stem cell-derived model systems and multi-omic approaches of NDDs to (i) understand neurodevelopment broadly, (ii) understand the impact of these genes on co-morbidity development, and (iii) develop clinically relevant strategies to rescue mutant gene expression and ameliorate adverse phenotypes.

• University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA — B.S. — 06/2009 — Human Biology
• University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA — Ph.D. — 06/2018 — Biomedical Sciences
• University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA — Postdoc — 03/2026 — Neurology

• Enhancer-targeted correction of haploinsufficient autism risk genes
  NIH · F32MH124337 · Sep 1, 2021 – Aug 31, 2024 · Role: Principal Investigator
• Regulation of Wnt Signaling in Invasive Colon Cancer
  NIH · F31CA200298 · Sep 20, 2015 – Sep 19, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator

• neurodevelopment
• neurogenetics
• autism
• organoid

• The role of Nrf2 in anoikis resistance and metastasis in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Mol Biomed. 2025 11 10; 6(1):103.. View in PubMed
• Large-scale discovery of neural enhancers for cis-regulation therapies. bioRxiv. 2025 Nov 05.. View in PubMed
• Study about the effect of cellulose nanocrystals on a polyacrylate miniemulsion. RSC Adv. 2025 Feb 26; 15(9):7181-7190.. View in PubMed
• Self-Regulatory Lean-Electrolyte Flow for Building 600 Wh Kg-1-Level Rechargeable Lithium Batteries. Adv Mater. 2025 Mar; 37(10):e2419377.. View in PubMed
• Enhancer-targeted CRISPR-Activation Rescues Haploinsufficient Autism Susceptibility Genes. bioRxiv. 2024 Mar 14.. View in PubMed
• Broad transcriptomic dysregulation occurs across the cerebral cortex in ASD. Nature. 2022 Nov; 611(7936):532-539.. View in PubMed
• CNT/PVDF Composite Coating Layer on Cu with a Synergy of Uniform Current Distribution and Stress Releasing for Improving Reversible Li Plating/Stripping. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2022 Oct 12; 14(40):46043-46055.. View in PubMed
• Disruption of β-Catenin-Dependent Wnt Signaling in Colon Cancer Cells Remodels the Microenvironment to Promote Tumor Invasion. Mol Cancer Res. 2022 Mar 01; 20(3):468-484.. View in PubMed
• Differential Effects of Estrogen Receptor Alpha and Beta on Endogenous Ligands of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma in Papillary Thyroid Cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021; 12:708248.. View in PubMed
• The Knockdown of Nrf2 Suppressed Tumor Growth and Increased the Sensitivity to Lenvatinib in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021; 2021:3900330.. View in PubMed
• An in vitro vascularized micro-tumor model of human colorectal cancer recapitulates in vivo responses to standard-of-care therapy. Lab Chip. 2021 04 07; 21(7):1333-1351.. View in PubMed
• The FKH domain in FOXP3 mRNA frequently contains mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma that influence the subcellular localization and functions of FOXP3. J Biol Chem. 2020 04 17; 295(16):5484-5495.. View in PubMed
• ZBP-89 negatively regulates self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells via suppression of Notch1 signaling pathway. Cancer Lett. 2020 03 01; 472:70-80.. View in PubMed
• Homology-independent multiallelic disruption via CRISPR/Cas9-based knock-in yields distinct functional outcomes in human cells. BMC Biol. 2018 12 28; 16(1):151.. View in PubMed
• FOXP3 promotes tumor growth and metastasis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and EMT in non-small cell lung cancer. Mol Cancer. 2017 07 17; 16(1):124.. View in PubMed
• O-GlcNAc transferase promotes fatty liver-associated liver cancer through inducing palmitic acid and activating endoplasmic reticulum stress. J Hepatol. 2017 08; 67(2):310-320.. View in PubMed
• Mathematical modeling links Wnt signaling to emergent patterns of metabolism in colon cancer. Mol Syst Biol. 2017 02 09; 13(2):912.. View in PubMed
• ZBP-89 reduces histone deacetylase 3 by degrading IkappaB in the presence of Pin1. J Transl Med. 2015 Jan 27; 13:23.. View in PubMed
• Estrogen receptor α induces prosurvival autophagy in papillary thyroid cancer via stimulating reactive oxygen species and extracellular signal regulated kinases. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Apr; 100(4):E561-71.. View in PubMed
• Epigenetic upregulation of Bak by ZBP-89 inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 Dec; 1833(12):2970-2979.. View in PubMed
• Induction of colon cancer cell death by 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01) is associated with increased p38 MAPK and decreased Bcl-xL. Anticancer Drugs. 2003 Oct; 14(9):761-6.. View in PubMed

• Lenz, Heinz-Josef