Professor Chen specializes in mathematics, computer science and engineering. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from California Institute of Technology (both engineering degrees), and his Doctor of Philosophy (computer science) degree from Stanford University. After that, he worked as a researcher in applied mathematics at California Institute of Technology and taught computer science at Yale University. 1986 joined UCLA as a professor of mathematics, 1997 was promoted to the head of the Department of Mathematics. From 200 1 to 2006, he served as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. He is also the honorary co-chair of the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Biological Engineering.
Professor Chen, as the chief researcher, successfully suggested to the National Science Foundation that the National Institute of Pure Numbers and Applied Mathematics should be established at UCLA, aiming at combining mathematical science with general science and engineering disciplines. From 2000 to 200 1, he served as the director of the institute.
Professor Chen is an active member of several scientific research institutions, including the Institute of Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He used to be a member of the Council and Board of Directors of the Institute, and was elected as an academician of the Institute in March 20 10. Professor Chen is also an academician of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Other societies he attended included the American Mathematical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In addition, Professor Chen is a member of the editorial boards of several mathematical and computational journals. These journals include Review of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Journal of Scientific Computing of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics and Asian Journal of Mathematics. In addition, he is one of the three editors-in-chief of the German Journal of Mathematics. He participated in writing the proposal, successfully proposed the establishment of the Institute of Industrial and Applied Mathematics in Sculpture Science, and became a member of the founding editorial board until 20 12. He also served as a member of the Mathematics and Natural Science Advisory Committee of the National Science Foundation and the National Mathematics Committee of the United States, and was one of the five American representatives attending the 2006 International Mathematical Union Congress.
Professor Chen is a member of the Board of Directors of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the Advisory Board of the President of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the committee of 100. He is also a member of the Selection Committee of Shaw Prize for Mathematical Sciences and a member of the Innovation and Technology Steering Committee of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
Professor Chen's research fields include mathematical contrast processing and computer vision, large-scale integrated physical design and computational brain maps. He has published more than 200 recommended academic papers and is one of the most frequently cited mathematicians in the world. Instructed 35 doctoral students and 25 postdoctoral students.