Yen-Tyng Chen, Ph.D. joined the Bloustein School in September 2022. Dr. Chen is a social determinant of health researcher and social epidemiologist. She is committed to examining how structural-level (e.g., policy, built environment, structural racism) characteristics shape health care delivery and health behaviors among under-resourced populations.

Dr. Chen uses epidemiological methods and behavioral theories to analyze and synthesize quantitative data and translate the findings into public health recommendations for downstream action or change. She has published peer-reviewed journal articles in leading public health journals such as Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, AIDS and Behavior, Journal of Urban Health, Social Science & Medicine, and the American Journal of Public Health.

Dr. Chen has received multiple awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her research. Dr. Chen and colleagues focus on developing HIV prevention and care intervention models using a social-spatial approach among young Black men who have sex with men in Chicago, USA. Dr. Chen’s current intersections of research area and methodological expertise include: health care engagement; built and social environments; structural racism; stigma and discrimination; social network analysis.