In 2004, Dr. Chen became investigator and chief of the Mucosal Immunology Unit, Oral Infection and Immunity Branch, at NIDCR. In 2011, he become senior investigator and chief of the Mucosal Immunology Section at NIDCR. Dr. Chen has received numerous awards and honors, including Invited Speaker at the NIH Director’s Seminar Series, the Wang Ying-Lai Memorial Lecture, and the Scientific Achievement Award of the NIH Asian and Pacific Islander American Organization.

Research Interests
Dr. Wanjun Chen’s interest is elucidating mechanisms of immune tolerance, focusing on TGF-beta regulation of T-cell immunity and tolerance. Dr. Chen also studies the development and function of regulatory T cells. Dr. Chen and his colleagues investigate the differences between T-cell immunity and tolerance in animal models to understand the pathogenesis of autoimmunity and inflammation, cancer, and infectious disease. Their studies aim to lead to the development of potential immunotherapies for relevant human diseases.