Ying (Maggie) Chen, MD, PhD, FASN

Ying (Maggie) Chen, MD, PhD, FASN

Associate Professor of Medicine (with Tenure); Associate Professor of Cell Biology & Physiology (with Tenure)

Additional Titles

Related Links

Location

Patients seen at

Map of location

Center for Advanced Medicine

Mailing Address

Division of Nephrology

  • Mailing Address: 660 S. Euclid Ave., CB 8126
    St. Louis, MO 63110

In the news:

Education

  • Fellowship, Nephrology: Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • Residency, Internal Medicine: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
  • PhD Cell and Developmental Biology: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN
  • Doctor of Medicine: Shanghai Medical University Shanghai, China Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg School of Medicine Erlangen, Germany

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Nephrology, 2010
  • American Board of Internal Medicine, 2008

Recognition

Honors and awards

2021-2025
American Society Nephrology Grant Review Committee
Chartered member of VA Merit Award Review Committee

2025
NIH/NIDDK PBKD study section Ad Hoc reviewer
ASN Kidney Week Abstract Reviewer: Glomerular Diseases: Mechanisms, including Podocyte Biology

2024
VA Merit Award
R56, NIH/NIDDK
Rare Kidney Disease Clinical Advisory Council
ASN Kidney Week Abstract Reviewer: Glomerular Diseases: Mechanisms, including Podocyte Biology

George M. O’Brien Kidney Resource Alliance Opportunity Pool Program Reviewer

2023
Investigator Matching Grant, Washington University Center for Drug Discovery
ASN Kidney Week Abstract Reviewer: CKD (Non-Dialysis): Mechanisms

2022   
Elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI)
R21, NIH/NIDDK
Washington University Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research Pilot grant

2021
US Patent: US 11,129,871
George M. O’Brien Kidney Core Center, P&F grant, NIH/NIDDK

2020
The Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) member
Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN)
George M. O’Brien Kidney Core Center, P&F grant, NIH/NIDDK

2018-2020
NIH/NIDDK R13 Grant Review Committee

2019
Investigator-Initiated Research Award, Department of Defense
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Challenge Grant
Investigator Matching Grant, Washington University Center for Drug Discovery

2018
Nephrotic Syndrome Specialist, nominated by NephCure Kidney International
US Patent: US 10,156,564

2017
R01, NIH/NIDDK
Children’s Discovery Institute hPSC Core Pilot Grant

2016
Renal Translational Innovation Grant, Washington University Division of Nephrology

2015
Clinical Scientist Development Award, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Early Career Development Award, Central Society for Clinical and Translational Research (CSCTR)
K Award, CSCTR and MWAFMR
Career Development Award, Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE)
R03 grant, NIH/NIDDK

2011
P30 (Pilot and Feasibility Grant), NIH/NIDDK
K Award, Combined Annual Meeting of CSCR (Central Society for Clinical Research) and MWAFMR (Midwestern Section of the American Federation for Medical Research)

2013
Faculty Scholar Award, Children’s Discovery Institute of Washington University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital
The Halpin Foundation-American Society of Nephrology for Kidney Research Grant

2010
K08 Clinical Scientist Development Award, NIH/NIDDK

2007
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA, T32)

2003
Dissertation Enhancement Grant, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Clinical Interests

Primary nephrotic syndromes including focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy and minimal change disease; Alport Disease; Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease; Acid-base and electrolyte disorders.

Research Interests

Proteinuria; Podocytes; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Organelle Biology; Renal Fibrosis

Dr. Chen’s research focus has been to develop novel therapeutics that target organelles, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria and lysosome to treat kidney disease. Her lab has pioneered discovery of urinary ER stress biomarkers. More importantly, her group has discovered podocyte ER calcium stabilizers as a new class of drugs to treat nephrotic syndrome, and MANF as a novel biotherapeutic protein to treat ADTKD. These research findings have been patented.

Dr. Chen’s research has been supported by NIH R01s, VA Merit Award and Department of Defense (DoD), as well as numerous Career Development Awards. She has been a chartered member of American Society of Nephrology and VA Merit Award grant review committees, and an ad hoc reviewer for NIDDK PBKD study section. She is an elected member of American Society of Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Read more at the Y. Maggie Chen Lab website.

Publications

Li C, Fang YL, Chen Y. Beyond redox regulation: novel roles of TXNIP in the pathogenesis and therapeutic targeting of kidney disease. Am J Pathol doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.12.011, 2024 PMID: 39814099

Kim Y*, Li C*, Gu CJ, Fang YL, Tycksen E, Puri A, Pietka TA, Sivapackiam J, Kidd K, Park SJ, Johnson BG, Kmoch S, Duffield JS, Bleyer AJ, Jackrel ME, Urano F, Sharma V, Lindahl M, Chen Y. MANF stimulates autophagy and restores mitochondrial homeostasis to treat autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease in mice. Nat Commun 2023

Li C, Krothapalli S, Chen Y. Targeting endoplasmic reticulum for novel therapeutics and monitoring in acute kidney injury. Nephron 2023

Park SJ, Kim Y, Li C, Suh J, Sivapackiam J, Goncalves TM, Jarad G, Zhao G, Urano F, Sharma V, Chen Y. Blocking CHOP-dependent TXNIP shuttling to mitochondria attenuates albuminuria and mitigates kidney injury in nephrotic syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci 2022

Kim Y, Wang ZY, Li C, Kidd K, Wang YX, Johnson B, Kmoch S, Morrissey J, Bleyer A, Duffield JS, Singamaneni S, Chen Y. Ultrabright plasmonic-fluor nanolabel-enabled detection of a urinary ER stress biomarker in autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 321(2):F236-F244, 2021

Park SJ, Li C, Chen Y. . Am J Pathol 191(2):256-265, 2021 PMCID: PMC7863132

Li C, Chen Y. Endoplasmic reticulum-associated biomarkers for molecular phenotyping of rare kidney disease. Int J Mol Sci 22(4), 2021 PMCID: PMC7926397

Kidd K, Vyletal P, Schaeffer C, Olinger E, Johnson E, Živná M, Jorge SC, Calado JT, Torres RJ, Lhotta K, Steubl D, Gale DP, Gast C, Gombos E, Robins V, Taylor A, Martin L, Ainsworth H, Chen Y, Almeida JR, Fernandes de Souza C, Silvera CS, Raposeiro R, Hodanova K, Votruba M, Vrbacká A, Divers J, Scolari F, Devuyst O, Rampoldi L, Kmoch S, Bleyer A. Genetic and clinical predictors of age of end-stage kidney disease in individuals with autosomal dominant tubulo-Interstitial kidney disease due to UMOD mutations. Kidney Int Rep 5(9): 1472-1485, 2020 PMCID: PMC7486199

Park SJ, Kim Y, Yang SM, Henderson MJ, Yang W, Lindahl M, Urano F, Chen Y. Discovery of novel endoplasmic reticulum calcium stabilizers to rescue ER-stressed podocytes in nephrotic syndrome. Proc Natl Acad Sci 116(28): 14154-14163, 2019 PMCID: PMC6628787

Highlighted by Nature Reviews Nephrology in July 2019 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41581-019-0180-1

Park SJ, Kim Y, Chen Y. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and monogenic kidney diseases in precision nephrology. Pediatr Nephrol (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-018-4031-2), 2018 PMID: 30099615

Kim Y, Park SJ, Manson SR, Carlos M, Kidd K, Thiessen-Philbrook H, Perry R, Liapis H, Kmoch S, Parikh CR, Bleyer AJ, Chen Y. Elevated urinary CRELD2 is associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated kidney disease. JCI Insight 2(23): e92896 2017

Kim Y, Park SJ, Chen Y. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF), a new player in endoplasmic reticulum diseases: structure, biology and therapeutic roles. Transl 188: 1–9 2017 [Featured New Investigator Series]

Mutneja A, Cossey LN, Liapis H, Chen Y. A rare case of renal thrombotic microangiopathy associated with Castleman’s disease. BMC Nephrol 18: 57, 2017.

Kim Y, Lee H, Manson SR, Lindahl M, Evans B, Miner JH, Urano F, Chen Y. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor as a urine biomarker for endoplasmic reticulum stress-related kidney diseases. J Am Soc Nephrol 27: 2974-2982 2016  PMCID: PMC5042655

Singh S, Manson SR, Lee H, Kim Y, Liu T, Guo QS, Geminiani JJ, Austin PF, and Chen Y. Tubular overexpression of angiopoietin-1 attenuates renal fibrosis. PLOS ONE 11(7): e0158908 2016

Chen Y, Liapis H. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: molecular genetics and targeted therapies. [Corresponding author] BMC Nephrol 16: 101, 2015

Chen Y, Zhou YF, Go G, Marmerstein JT, Kikkawa Y, Miner J. Laminin β2 gene missense mutation produces endoplasmic reticulum stress in podocytes.  J Am Soc Nephrol. 24: 1223-1233 2013

Chen Y, Marcos LA, Liapis H, Steinberg TH, Morrison AR. An unusual cause of membranous glomerulonephritis in a patient with HIV.  Int Urol Nephrol. 44(3): 983-6 2012

Chen Y, Miner J. Glomerular basement membrane and related glomerular disease.  Transl 160: 291–297 2012 [Corresponding author, Featured New Investigator Series]

Chen Y, Kikkawa Y, Miner J. A missense LAMB2 mutation causes congenital nephrotic syndrome by impairing laminin secretion.  J Am Soc Nephrol. 22: 849-858 2011 [Cover illustration]

Chen Y, Donnelly E, Kobayashi H, DeBusk LM and Lin PC. Gene therapy targeting the Tie2 function ameliorates collagen-induced arthritis and protects against bone destruction. Arthritis Rheum. 52(5): 1585-1594 2005

[Editorial comments]: Pap T and Distler O. Linking angiogenesis to bone destruction in arthritis.  Arthritis Rheum. 52(5): 1346-1348

Chen JX, Chen Y, DeBusk LM, Lin W, Lin PC. Dual functional roles of Tie2/angiopoietin in TNF-alpha-mediated angiogenesis.  Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 287(1): H187-195 2004

DeBusk LM, Chen Y, Nishishita T, Chen J, Thomas JW, Lin PC. Tie2 receptor tyrosine kinase, a major mediator of tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis.  Arthritis Rheum. 48(9): 2461-2471 2003

Chen Y, Rosloniec E, Price J, Boothby M, Chen J. Constitutive expression of Bcl-xL in the T lineage attenuates collagen-induced arthritis in Bcl-xL transgenic mice.  Arthritis Rheum. 46(2): 514-521 2002

Chen Y, Rosloniec E, Goral MI, Boothby M, Chen J. Redirection of T cell effector function in vivo and enhanced collagen-induced arthritis mediated by an IL-2Rb/IL-4Ra chimeric cytokine receptor transgene.   Immunol. 166(6): 4163-4169 2001