Professor Yuying Chen, M.D., Ph.D. has been promoted to Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine (HSOM). Chen served as Research Director prior to her promotion.
Dr. Chen joined the department of PM&R faculty in 2000 and has served as Project Director of the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center since 2005. She has gained international recognition for her research involving epidemiology, mortality, and secondary conditions after spinal cord injury (SCI), including obesity, racial health disparities, and social determinants of health. Chen’s most recent honors include being selected to serve on the American Spinal Injury Association Board of Directors, awarded The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine’s (ACRM) SCI Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Margaret Nosek Award, selected for the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy Class of 2023, and recognized by The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with the Most Cited Original Research Article Award.
“It is my privilege and honor to promote Dr. Chen to the Vice Chair of Research role. She is a passionate researcher who, through her work, has greatly advanced the worldwide standard of care for those living with spinal cord injury,” states Vu Nguyen, M.D., chair of the Department. We are very fortunate to have had her leadership over the years. It is my hope that we can capture her energy and brilliance to elevate the level of research in the department and at UAB. It’s a great day for UAB PM&R research,” exclaims Nguyen.”
Dr. Chen is a board-certified physiatrist from Taiwan and epidemiologist with extensive training and experience in database management, research methodology, and statistical analysis. She has led a number of studies and published more than 94 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, many of which involved the use of the National SCI Database.
“I look forward to this new chapter of my research career, leading a team of remarkable researchers to expand the Department’s research portfolio and advance rehabilitation science,” said Dr. Chen.
Dr. Chen is the Co-Director for the UAB Center for Engagement in Disability Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. She also serves on the Heersink School of Medicine Faculty Council and Committee on Responsible Research Practices as well as PM&R’s Promotion and Tenure, Finance, Journal Club, and Grand Rounds Committees.