Biography:

Yintong Chen, PhD completed her doctoral training at Pennsylvania State University, where she investigated epidermal development and cell wall biomechanics in plants. She then pursued postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, developing advanced imaging approaches to study epidermal differentiation and stress adaptation. In 2023, she joined the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Todd Ridky’s laboratory. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on the loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) in human epidermal cells and its implications for skin aging and cancer. She integrates molecular genetics, engineering 3D skin, and multi-omics approaches to uncover how large-scale chromosomal alterations disrupt epidermal homeostasis and promote tumorigenesis. Her work aims to identify LOY-specific mechanisms and therapeutic vulnerabilities that may inform precision strategies in dermatology and cancer prevention.

T32-Funded research supported the following:

Publications:

Chen Y, Estell A, Kuznetsov E, Lu C, Satish S, Leung T, Ridky T. Y chromosome loss in human keratinocytes delays senescence and increases tumorigenicity and invasiveness. (In preparation)

Grants:

Dermatology Foundation Research Career Development Award (under review)