Education & Work Experience
2013 -present
Professor
Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Fujian, China
2009 - 2013
Research Fellow
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
2006 - 2009
Research Fellow
Department of Physics, National University of Singapore
2005 - 2006
Research Fellow
Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore
2002 - 2005
SMF-Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Singapore

Selected Publications
Zhang, X., H. Chen, S. Le, I. Rouzina, P. S. Doyle, and J. Yan. 2013. Revealing the competition between peeled ssDNA, melting bubbles, and S-DNA during DNA overstretching by single-molecule calorimetry. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110:3865-3870.
Le, S., H. Chen, P. Cong, J. Lin, P. Droge, and J. Yan. 2013. Mechanosensing of DNA bending in a single specific protein-DNA complex. Scientific reports 3:3508.
Fu, H., S. Le, H. Chen, K. Muniyappa, and J. Yan. 2013. Force and ATP hydrolysis dependent regulation of RecA nucleoprotein filament by single-stranded DNA binding protein. Nucleic Acids Res 41:924-932.
Chen, H., S. Chandrasekar, M. P. Sheetz, T. P. Stossel, F. Nakamura, and J. Yan. 2013. Mechanical perturbation of filamin A immunoglobulin repeats 20-21 reveals potential non-equilibrium mechanochemical partner binding function. Scientific reports 3:1642.
Zhang, X., H. Chen, H. Fu, P. S. Doyle, and J. Yan. 2012. Two distinct overstretched DNA structures revealed by single-molecule thermodynamics measurements. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109:8103-8108.
Lin, J., H. Chen, P. Droge, and J. Yan. 2012. Physical organization of DNA by multiple non-specific DNA-binding modes of integration host factor (IHF). PloS one 7:e49885.
Fu, H., H. Chen, X. Zhang, Y. Qu, J. F. Marko, and J. Yan. 2011. Transition dynamics and selection of the distinct S-DNA and strand unpeeling modes of double helix overstretching. Nucleic Acids Res 39:3473-3481 (co-first author).
Chen, H., X. Zhu, P. Cong, M. P. Sheetz, F. Nakamura, and J. Yan. 2011. Differential mechanical stability of filamin A rod segments. Biophys J 101:1231-1237.
Chen, H., H. Fu, X. Zhu, P. Cong, F. Nakamura, and J. Yan. 2011. Improved high-force magnetic tweezers for stretching and refolding of proteins and short DNA. Biophys J 100:517-523.
Liu, Y., J. Wu, H. Chen, C. L. Hew, and J. Yan. 2010. DNA condensates organized by the capsid protein VP15 in White Spot Syndrome Virus. Virology 408:197-203.
Liu, Y., H. Chen, L. J. Kenney, and J. Yan. 2010. A divalent switch drives H-NS/DNA-binding conformations between stiffening and bridging modes. Genes Dev 24:339-344 (co-first author).
Fu, W. B., H. Chen, M. Li, and J. Yan. 2010. Kinetics of Single DNA Compaction by Hexaammine Cobalt Chloride. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience 7:213-217.
Fu, H. X., H. Chen, J. Yan, and C. T. Lim. 2010. Salt Solution Effects on Overstretching Transitions of DNA Molecules. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience 7:1272-1278.
Fu, H., H. Chen, J. F. Marko, and J. Yan. 2010. Two distinct overstretched DNA states. Nucleic Acids Res 38:5594-5600.
Chen, H., H. X. Fu, Z. Zhou, and J. Yan. 2010. Non-harmonic DNA bending elasticity is revealed by statistics of DNA minicircle shapes. International Journal of Modern Physics B 24:5475-5485.
Fu, H., H. Chen, C. G. Koh, and C. T. Lim. 2009. Effects of magnesium salt concentrations on B-DNA overstretching transition. Eur Phys J E Soft Matter 29:45-49.
Chen, H., Y. Liu, Z. Zhou, L. Hu, Z. C. Ou-Yang, and J. Yan. 2009. Temperature dependence of circular DNA topological states. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 79:041926.
Chen, H., and J. Yan. 2008. Effects of kink and flexible hinge defects on mechanical responses of short double-stranded DNA molecules. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 77:041907.
Chen, H., H. X. Fu, and C. G. Koh. 2008. Sequence-Dependent Unpeeling Dynamics of Stretched DNA Double Helix. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience 5:1381-1386.
Fu, H. X., C. G. Koh, H. Chen, and C. T. Lim. 2007. Experimental and numerical studies on B-DNA overstretching transition in presence of sodium ions at physiological temperature. In Nanoscience and Technology, Pts 1 and 2. C. Bai, S. Xie, and X. Zhu, editors. 1093-1096.
Bao, Q., H. Chen, Y. Liu, J. Yan, P. Droge, and C. A. Davey. 2007. A divalent metal-mediated switch controlling protein-induced DNA bending. J Mol Biol 367:731-740.
Fu, H. X., C. G. Koh, and H. Chen. 2005. Ionic effects on overstretching transition of B-DNA. European Physical Journal E 17:231-235.
Chen, H., C. G. Koh, and C. Y. Liaw. 2005. Accessibility of compact structures and prion-like protein folding property. Modern Physics Letters B 19:1241-1252.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, and M. Iwamoto. 2004. Orientation orders of small anisotropic molecules in confinement. In Slow Dynamics in Complex Systems. M. Tokuyama, and I. Oppenheim, editors. 170-171.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, and M. Iwamoto. 2004. Orientational order in binary mixtures of hard Gaussian overlap molecules. Journal of Chemical Physics 120:1832-1836.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, and M. Iwamoto. 2004. Orientational orders of small anisotropic molecules confined in slit pores. Journal of Chemical Physics 120:5322-5326.
Chen, H., X. Zhou, C. Y. Liaw, and C. G. Koh. 2004. Kinetic analysis of protein folding lattice models. Modern Physics Letters B 18:163-172.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, and M. Iwamoto. 2002. Nonunique steady states in the disordered harmonic chain. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 66:061202.
Chen, H., X. Zhou, and Z. C. Ou-Yang. 2002. Classification of amino acids based on statistical results of known structures and cooperativity of protein folding. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 65:061907.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, J. J. Zhou, and Z. C. Ou-Yang. 2001. The structure relaxation of carbon nanotube. Physica B 304:86-90.
Zhou, X., H. Chen, and Z. C. Ou-Yang. 2001. Can electric field induced energy gaps in metallic carbon nanotubes? J. Phys.-Condes. Matter 13:L635-L640.
Chen, H., X. Zhou, and Z. C. Ou-Yang. 2001. Difference between "proteinlike" and "nonproteinlike" heteropolymers. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 63:031913.
Chen, H., X. Zhou, and Z. C. Ou-Yang. 2001. Secondary-structure-favored hydrophobic-polar lattice model of protein folding. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys 64:041905.

Funding
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2013-2015)  
National Nature Science Foundation of China (2015-2018)  

Teaching
College Physics
Introduction to biophysics