Yu Chen,Principal Investigator, Doctoral Supervisor, Shenzhen Municipal Talent. He earned his Ph.D. from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2007, and joined the Institute of Brain Cognition and Brain Disease, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015.
He currently serves as:
Executive Vice Director,  Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute of
Executive Vice Director, Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Brain Science
Director, Center for Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Diseases
His research focuses on mechanisms of synaptic development and plasticity, molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, and related biomarkers. He was awarded the 2021 Major Progress in Neuroscience by the Chinese Society for Neuroscience (as the first principal investigator of the domestic completing institution).

Regulatory mechanisms of neural development and plasticity
Pathogenic mechanisms and biomarkers of neurological disorders

1.Jinying Xu^#, Jianhui Man, Yingying Fan, Yuewen Chen*, Yu Chen* (2026) Axin1 stabilizes S-opsin and maintains cone photoreceptor survival by inhibiting GSK3β activity. Cell Death & Discovery, accepted.
2.Xikang Feng^#, Yinhu Li^#, Jieyi Zheng^#, Xuhua Chen^#, Shuo Yang, Yu Chen*, Shuai Cheng Li*. (2025) MicrobialScope: an integrated genomic resource with rich annotations across bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. Nucleic Acids Research, 54(D1), D842–D851.
3.Xueqi Qu, Li Lin, Yinhu Li, Yuewen Chen, Yu Chen*. (2025) N6-methyladenosine RNA modification regulates microglial phagocytosis in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Genes and immunity, 26(5):438-448.
4.Jiaming Li, ……, Yu chen*, …… , Guang-Hui Liu*. (2025) The X-Age Project to construct a Chinese aging clock. Nature Aging, 5(9):1669-1685.
5.Yujie Yang, Yinhu Li, Yu Chen*. (2025) Changes in transcriptional regulation in the temporal lobe in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 104(4):1075-1091.
6.Chunyu Lyu^#, Lin Yuan^#, Yang Yang, Dongsheng Zhang, Wei Hu, Keli Zhao, Yuzhen Ding, Wei Chen, Kang Xiao*, Yu Chen*, Wei Liu*. (2025) Ligand preference of EphB2 receptor is selectively regulated by N-glycosylation. iScience, 28(5):112386.
7.Yinhu Li^#, Xikang Feng^#, Xuhua Chen#, Shuo Yang, Zicheng Zhao, Yu Chen*, Shuaicheng Li*.  (2025) PlasmidScope: A comprehensive plasmid database with rich annotations and online analytical tools. Nucleic Acids Research, 53(D1):D179-D188.
8.Yinhu Li^#, Guangze Pan^#, Shuai Wang#, Zhengtu Li, Ru Yang, Yiqi Jiang, Yu Chen*, Shuai Cheng Li*, Bairong Shen*. (2024) Comprehensive human respiratory genome catalogue underlies the high resolution and precision of the respiratory microbiome. Briefings in Bioinformatics, 26(1): bbae620.
9.Zhigang Zhang^#, Shuai Chen^#, Shirui Jun^#, Xirong Xu, Yuchuan Hong, Xifei Yang, Liangyu Zou, You-Qiang Song*, Yu Chen*, Jie Tu*. (2025) MLKL-USP7-UBA52 signaling is indispensable for autophagy in brain through maintaining ubiquitin homeostasis. Autophagy, 21(2):424-446.
10.RanYi^#, ShuaiChen^#, Mingfeng Guan, Chunyan Liao, Yao Zhu, Jacque Pak Kan Ip, TaoYe*, Yu Chen*. (2024) A single-cell transcriptomic dataset of pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes via NFIB/SOX9 overexpression. Scientific Data, 11:987.
11.Hongjiao Wu, Yujie Yang, Wanying Yi, Yue Qiu, Shuangshuang Ma, Jinying Xu, Yingying Fan, Yuewen Chen, Yu Chen*. (2024) Coronin 2B deficiency induces nucleolar stress and neuronal Apoptosis. Cell Death and Disease, 15(6):457.
12.Mengqi Li^#, Mingfeng Guan^#, Jianbang Lin^#, Kaichuan Zhu^#, Jiayi Zhu, Ming Guo, Yinhu Li, Yefei Chen, Yijing Chen, Ying Zou, Daiqiang Wu, Junxin Xu, Wanying Yi, Yingying Fan, Shuangshuang Ma, Yuewen Chen, Jun Xu, Lixin Yang, Ji Dai, Tao Ye*, Zhonghua Lu*, Yu Chen*. (2024) Early blood immune molecular alterations in cynomolgus monkeys with a PSEN1 mutation causing familial Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 20(8), 5492–5510.
13.Yijing Chen^#, Yinhu Li^#, Yingying Fan, Shuai Chen, Li Chen, Yuewen Chen, Yu Chen*. (2024) Gut microbiota-driven metabolic alterations reveal gut–brain communication in Alzheimer’s disease model mice. Gut Microbes, 16(1):2302310.
14.Yinhu Li^#, Yijing Chen#, Yingying Fan, Yuewen Chen, Yu Chen*. (2023) Dynamic network modeling of gut microbiota during Alzheimer’s disease progression in mice. Gut Microbes, 15(1):2172672.
15.Yuewen Chen^#, Zhenyan Xu^#, Jing Chen#, Yue Qiu, Lin Yuan, Peng Liu, Jing Duan, Li Chen*, Yu Chen*. (2022) Coronin 2B Regulates neuronal migration via Rac1-dependent multipolar–bipolar transition. Journal of Neuroscience, 43 (2): 211-220.

Yu Chen has published more than 50 papers in renowned academic journals including Alzheimer's & Dementia, Gut Microbes, Nature Neuroscience, PNAS, Journal of Cell Biology, and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, and has applied for a number of international patents.
As the Principal Investigator (PI), he has been in charge of the following projects:
Key Special Project for Strategic International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation, National Key R&D Program of China
NSFC Research Fund for International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange (NSFC-RGC)
Strategic Research Project of the Department of Development and Planning, Ministry of Science and Technology
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Research Team Project, Guangdong Provincial Regional Joint Fund
General Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
Key Program for International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Shenzhen Basic Research Discipline Layout Project