Systems Properties of Cells

Functions in all forms of lives are performed through collective behavior of interacting biological molecules in space and time. While reductionist approach in the past decades has successfully identified numerous biological molecules of functional importance, a remaining question is how these molecules function together spatially and temporally as a “system” for cell survival and physiological homeostasis. The Laboratory for Cell Dynamics is working to understand the systems properties of cells, including biological oscillators, switches, and trigger waves especially those that control cell death, proliferation and metabolic homeostasis. We use quantitative experimental approaches, modeling and informatics.

The illustration to the right shows trigger waves of ferroptosis propagating outward from dead cells (the bottom left white dots) through lipid peroxidation signals (the yellow ring between dead and living cells) at the wave fronts. This image is taken from a video by Hannah Co.

• Education
• Achievements & Honors
• Selected publications
• Lab members

• PDF, 2016, Dept. Systems Biology Harvard Med. Sch., USA
• Ph.D., 2008, Dept. Biological Sciences., Univ. California, San Diego, USA
• M.S., 2001, Sch. of Informatics, Univ. Sussex, UK
• B.S., 1998, Dept. Zoology, NTU

• 2019-2023, Academia Sinica Career Development Award
• 2020, 傑出人才基金會留任國內優秀學者

1. Chen, S.-H, Smolka, M.B., Zhou, H. (2007) Mechanism of Dun1 activation by Rad53 phosphorylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 986- 995.
2. Chen, S.-H, Zhou, H. (2009) Reconstitution of Rad53 activation by Mec1 through adaptor protein Mrc1. J. Biol. Chem. 284: 18593-18604.
3. Chen, S.-H, Albuquerque, C.P., Liang, J., Suhandynata, R., Zhou, H. (2010) A proteome-wide analysis of kinasesubstrate network in the DNA damage response. J. Biol. Chem. 285: 12803-12812.
4. Chen, S.-H, Masuno, K., Cooper, S.B., Yamamoto, R.K. (2013) An incoherent feed-forward regulatory logic underpinning glucocorticoid receptor action. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110: 1964-1969.
5. Chen, S.-H, Forrester, W., Lahav, G. (2016) Scheduledependent interactions between anti-cancer treatments. Science 351: 1204-1208.
6. Chen, S.-H, Lahav, G. (2016) Two is better than one; toward a rational design of combinatorial therapy. Curr. Opin. Struct. Biol. 41: 145-150.
7. Heltberg, M., Chen, S.-H, Jimenez, A., Jambhekar, A., Mogens, H. J., Lahav, G. (2019) Inferring leading interactions in the p53 network through live-cell imaging and modeling. Cell Systems 9: 548-558.