Dr. Yu Chen is a Professor of Epidemiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a chronic disease epidemiologist with nearly 20 years of experience in cancer research, specializing in multidisciplinary approaches. Her work explores the relationship between host factors and biomarkers and the risk of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and aging-related outcomes. Her recent publications cover a range of topics, including the microbiome’s role in gastric cancer risk, the impact of neighborhood walkability on cancer incidence, and the influence of midlife lifestyles on late-life subjective cognitive complaints. Dr. Chen serves as the Principal Investigator of the New York University Women’s Health Study (NYUWHS), a prospective cohort study involving over 14,000 women. She oversees the study’s overall management, including methodology, data collection, fieldwork, analysis, and the development of follow-up protocols.

Dr. Chen has been honored with the Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (ONES) by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and her work was highlighted as a success story by NIEHS in 2022. Additionally, she has contributed to numerous NIH study sections and committees. She is the program director and graduate advisor for the Epidemiology Ph.D. Training Program at NYU. Dr. Chen earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology with distinction from Columbia University in 2005. As of July 2024, she has authored 222 journal articles, with an i10-index of 194.

Follow Dr. Chen on X (@NYULangone) and Instagram (@yuchenphd).