Immunologist. Born in Shanghai. Graduated from School of Medicine, Beijing Medical College in 1958; conferred with PhD of Medical Biology, Melbourne University, Australia in 1982; Professor of immunology, Peking University Health Science Center. Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences. President, Chinese Society of Immunology. Editorial Board Member of many prestigious Chinese biological and medical journals.

Dr. Chen systematically studied intrathymic T cell development. He has demonstrated that T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement is initiated at early T cell (CD3-CD4-CD8-) stage in mouse thymus; unveiled thymocyte functional competence is acquired in thymic medulla and the functional maturation is a programmed process with stepwise acquisition of functional capacity and specialty. He disclosed the continuation of thymic selection processed in thymic medulla for medullary-type thymocyte functional maturation and further depletion by apoptosis. Since late 1997, he has engaged in the study of T cell vaccination for cancer immunotherapy and looking for the genes for early detection of cancer. It is also in the attempt to identify genes relevant to cancer cell behavior. His group has identified several novel cancer-testis antigens and cloned their encoding genes from human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They have revealed that a substantial number of HCC patients possess T cell response specific to the HLA-A2-presented peptides of NY-ESO-1 and MAGE-3 by IFNγ-release ELISPOT and/or intracellular-IFNγ assays. It is the basis for the preparation of tumor antigen vaccine. Meanwhile, the detection of CT gene transcripts in PBMC is a means to reveal the early metastasis and prognosis of HCC patients.