Investigator: Dr. Zhaohui Chen

Research Associate, Department of Neurology

Dr. Zhaohui (Dawn) Chen obtained her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from University of Alberta, Canada. She came to The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a proteomics specialist in early 2003. She recently joined the Department of Neurology as a faculty and conducts neuroproteomics researches using high resolution, high throughput mass spectrometry.

Dr. Chen’s research focuses on the use of mass spectrometry to identify protein changes and unique post-translational modifications (PTMs) as well as the quantitation of selected target proteins or PTMs in CSF samples and cell culture. In particular, she is currently studying the CSF proteome to find proteins to act as reliable, predictive and prognostic biomarkers for the early stages of Multiple Sclerosis. Her main focus is in characterizing the differential expression of proteins between Multiple Sclerosis patients and the control subjects by creating an in-depth CSF protein database.

Dr. Chen is also involved in the discovery of novel biomarkers for HIV-associated cognitive disorders and dementia in patients who use illegal drugs. Previous studies of neuropathogenesis have defined oxidative stress as a critical component in neurological damage; the levels of certain PTM, such as nitrosylated proteins, protein carbonyls and hydroxynonenol-modified proteins are elevated in the brain and in CSF. A major component of Dr. Chen’s research is to develop and evaluate enrichment methods to identify the actual PTM proteins involved in the oxidative stress process and monitor the changes in HIV-infected patients with cognitive impairment.