Hong Chen

Assistant Professor of Nutrition

Research Interests

Epigenetics of Cancer and other Chronic Diseases

The focus of Dr. Chen’s research is the role of epigenetic modifications on cancer and other chronic diseases. Epigenetic modifications of the genome, such as DNA methylation, histone methylation and acetylation, are powerful regulators of gene expression in mammalian cells. She is particularly interested in how epigenetic modifications are regulated by dietary components in colon tumor cells and how these modifications contribute to the tumorigenesis or cancer progression. Currently the focus is on dietary folate and active components in soy foods.

Selected Publications
Pan Y.X., Chen H., Thaiville M.M., Kilberg, M.S. 2007. Activation of the AFT3 gene through a co-ordinated amino acid-sensing response program that controls transcriptional regulation of responsive genes following amino acid limitation. Biochem J. 401 (1):299-307.

Chen H., Kilberg M.S., 2006. Alignment of the transcription start site coincides with increased transcriptional activity form the human asparagines synthetase gene following amino acide deprivation of HepG2 cells. J Nutr. 136 (10): 2463-7.

Teaching

Recent courses taught:

NUTR 510 - Current topics in Nutrition Research

NUTR 427 - Nutritional Biochemistry II

Latest Degree

Ph.D., Molecular Nutrition, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Hong Chen received her B.S. degree in cell biology from Lanzhou University in China. She then studied animal nutrition at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA and received both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in molecular nutrition. She continued her training as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL. She started as an assistant professor in 2006 here in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.