Dr. Chen is a Professor and Founder Chairman, the Department of Neurosurgery/Neuro-oncology of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Dr. Chen is Founder president of Chinese Society of Neuro-Oncology(CSNO). Dr. Chen’s clinical interests include microsurgery and multimodality treatment for primary and metastatic tumors in central nervous system, particularly gliomas. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are important adjuvant treatments in his clinical practice.

Dr. Chen’s research interests including: Genetic alterations leading to resistance of human brain tumors to chemotherapy, and has found that ERCC2, one of the important components in nucleotide excision repair (NER) system related to alkylating agent resistance in human tumor cell lines. MGMT associated drug resistance in glioma has also been investigated and applied in his clinical practice. He also, for the first time, has found that vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a new microcirculation exists in malignant gliomas. And, immunotherapy for glioma, such as CIK cell local therapy, DC-glioma fusion cells (FC), and neoadjuvant target combined with immuno-therapy for glioma is also his investigating field. Last 20 years, Dr. Chen has also participated in more than 20 clinical trials as PI, Co-PI or investigator.

MD,(1982): Suzhou Medical College, Suzhou, China.

Ph.D.(1993):Suzhou Medical College, China.

1982–1987: Residency training for Neurosurgery, Suzhou Medical College, China.

Dr. Chen published more than300research papers including more than 100peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journalssuch as Lancet,Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Journal of National Cancer Institute, JAMA Network Open, Science Advances, Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neuro-oncology, and Neuro-oncology.

Selected Publications

1. Chen AP, Coyne GO, Wolters PL, Martin S, Farschtschi S, Blanco I,Chen Z, Darrigo LG Jr, Eoli M, Whittle JR, Nishida Y, Lamarca R, de la Rosa Rodriguez R, Adeyemi A, Herrero I, Llorente N, Diede SJ, Dombi E, Wolkenstein P; KOMET study investigators. Efficacy and safety of selumetinib in adults with neurofibromatosis type 1 and symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas (KOMET): a multicentre, international, randomised, placebo-controlled, parallel, double-blind, phase 3 study. Lancet. 2025 May 30:S0140-6736(25)00986-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00986-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40473450.

2. Guo CC, Yang QY，Xu PF, Deng ML, Jiang TP, Cai LB, Li JB, Sai K, Xi SY, Ouyang H, Liu MF, Li XM, Li ZH, Ni XR, Cao X, Li C, Wu SX, Du XJ, Su J, Xue XY, Wang YM, Li G, Qin ZY, Yang H, Zhou T, Liu JQ, Hu XF, Wang J, Jiang XB, Lin FH, Zhang XH, Ke C, Lv XF, Lv YC,  Hu WM, Zeng J, Chen ZH, Zhong S, Wang HR, Chen YS, Zhang J, Li DP, Mou YG,Chen ZP. Adjuvant Temozolomide Chemotherapy With or Without Interferon Alfa Among Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-grade Gliomas: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open.2023;6(1):e2253285.doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53285.

3. Ni XR,Wu WC, Sun XQ, Ma JM, Yu ZH, He XW, Cheng JY, Xu PF, Liu HX, Shang TZ, Xi SY, Wang J,Zhang J,Chen ZP. Interrogating glioma-M2 macrophage interactions identifies Gal-9/Tim-3 as a viable target against PTEN-null glioblastoma. Sci Adv. 2022 Jul; 8(27): eabl5165. Published online 2022 Jul 8. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abl5165.

4. Xin Mei, Yin-Sheng Chen, Qing-Ping Zhang, Fu-Rong Chen, Shao-Yan Xi, Ya-Kang Long, Ji Zhang, Hai-Ping Cai, Chao Ke, Jing Wang,Zhong-Ping Chen. Association between glioblastoma cell-derived vessels and poor prognosis of the patients. Cancer Communications. 2020;40:211–221.

5. Hai-ping Cai, Jing Wang, Shao-yan Xi, Xiang-rong Ni, Yin-sheng Chen, Yan-jiao Yu, Zi-wen Cen, Zhi-hui Yu, Fu-rong Chen, Cheng-cheng Guo, Ji Zhang, Chao Ke, Jian Wang andZhong-ping Chen. Tenascin-cmediated vasculogenic mimicry formation via regulation of MMP2/MMP9 in glioma. Cell Death Dis. 2019 Dec; 10(12): 879.IF5.959.

6. Mei X, Chen YS, Chen FR, Xi SY, Chen ZP. Glioblastoma stem cell differentiation into endothelial cells evidenced through live cell imaging Running title: Live cell imaging of GSCs CD34 expression. Neuro Oncol. 2017 Mar 8. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/nox016. [Epub ahead of print], Neuro Oncology. 2017 Aug 1;19(8):1109-1118.

7.  Fu J, Shao CJ, Chen FR, NG HK,Chen ZP.Autophagy Induced by Valproic Acid is Associated with Oxidative Stress in Glioma Cell Lines. Neuro-oncology,2010,12(4):328-340.

8. Yue WY,Chen ZP. Does vasculogenic mimicry exist in astrocytoma? J Histochem Cytochem.2005, 53(8):997-1002.

9. Chen ZP, Remack J,Brent TP, Mohr G, Panasci LC. Extraneuronal Monoamine Transporter Expression vis-à-vis SauCNU Cytotoxicity in Human Tumor Cell Lines. Clinical Cancer Research, 1999,5:4186-4190.

10. Chen ZP, Malapetsa A,Marcantonio D, Mohr G,Brien S, Panasci LC. Correlation of chloroethylnitrosourea resistance with ERCC-2 expression in human tumor cell lines as determined by quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction. Cancer Research ,1996,56: 2475-2478.