ABOUT ME
Meng Chen
Ph.D. Student @ UT Austin•Molecular Biosciences
I am a PhD student in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, advised by Prof. Zunlong Ke. I received my bachelor's degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where I was advised by Prof. YunTan and Prof. JunMi. Broadly, my research interests include computational biology, virology, and structural biology.
NowAustin, TX
Researching viral structure while building AI systems for biology.
CURRENT FOCUS
AVAILABLE FOR
Email: mc82298@my.utexas.edu
Selected Work
Projects
A bento-style snapshot of academic research.
Academic Research
MCM Coomplex Function in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Independent project investigating MCM7 as a novel marker of differentiation blockade in AML. Established knockdown cell lines, performed transcriptomic and chromatin analyses, and conducted in vivo studies using Cas9 mouse models.
Database / Computational Biology
GM-Atlas: Microbiota Metabolite Database
First-authored comprehensive database of 364 intestinal microbiota metabolites' effects on macrophage transcriptome. Constructed sequencing libraries using DRUG-seq method and performed differential expression and pathway enrichment analyses.
Academic Research
SLC25A10 in HCC Apoptosis Resistance
Investigated mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier SLC25A10's role in hepatocellular carcinoma. Discovered SLC25A10-CEBPB interaction and its transcriptional regulation of BCL2A1 expression under hypoxic conditions.
Academic Research
KDM6A in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
Analyzed RNA-seq data from CAFs and NAFs, revealing KDM6A downregulation promotes tumor-prone cytokine expression through chromatin structure alterations. Identified compensatory role of KDM6B.
Computational Biology
Risk Factors for Lymphoid Malignancies
Systematic analysis identifying plasma leucine levels as protective factors. Validated findings through flow cytometry apoptosis assays and pathway enrichment analysis.
Toolkit
Skills
A practical, wet lab-to-dry lab—focused on execution and reproducibility.
Wet Lab
Structural biology and virology fundamentals.
Computational
Modeling, engineering, and shipping systems.
Tools
Core tools for reproducible work.
Work
Experience
Hands-on research experience with an engineering mindset: iterate fast, document rigorously, and validate with evidence.
Graduate Research AssistantAug 2025 - Present
UT Austin Zunlong Ke Lab
- Cell culture derived HCV virus particles were used to study the structure of the virus.
- HCV E1E2 eVLP is used as a key antigen in hepatitis C virus vaccine development.
Background
Education
Academic foundation anchored in biosciences, evolving toward modern AI and high-performance software.
University of Texas at Austin
2025 - Present
Ph.D. in Molecular Biosciences
Focus: Computational Biology, Structural Biology & Virology.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2021 - 2025
B.S. in Medical Laboratory Technology
Graduated with a top 5% GPA in the major and awarded an Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis.
Let’s build
Contact
If you’re working at the intersection of biology + AI, I’d love to connect.
Open to collaborations & ML engineering roles
Austin, TX