Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Beibei Bill Chen, PhD

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Professor of Medicine

Director, Small Molecule Therapeutic Center

Co-Director, Acute Lung Injury Center of Excellence

Email: chenb@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-624-2664
Contact
Office: 559 Bridgeside Point 1
100 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 
Phone: 412-624-2664
Fax: 412-383-9055
E-mail: chenb@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Kathy Brickett
Address: 571.1 Bridgeside Point I
100 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Email: kab389@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-383-4416
Fax: 412-383-9055
Education and Training
Education
BS, Chemistry, Wuhan University, 2003
PhD, Biochemistry, University of Iowa, 2008
Training
Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Iowa, 2009
Research Interest
Dr. Chen’s primary research interest includes the study of the molecular mechanisms that control inflammation and cell proliferation via protein ubiquitination. . Specifically, over the last five years, his lab have successfully cloned over 300 novel ubiquitin E3 ligases, of which he has subsequently determined many substrates. These works have been published in top-tier journals related to protein ubiquitination—including Nature Immunology, Nature Medicine, Cell Reports and Science Translational Medicine, Journal of Experimental Medicine and JCI. His second area of research interest is small molecule drug design. In the past three years, he has submitted 10 provisional patents related to novel anti-inflammatory and autophagy activating compounds. In addition, he have successfully designed and synthesized a novel series of first-in-class small molecule FBXO3 protein inhibitors. One of his lead compounds, BC-1261, has passed preclinical PK/toxicity studies and was approved for IND in February 2019. This compound is currently on track for a Phase I trial in November 2019. Recently, he has also designed a novel series of potent, selective PDE4, HECTD2, StamBP, Fbxo7, Fbxo48, FIEL1, DCAF7 inhibitors that exhibit excellent activities in vivo. His long-term goal is to develop a new class of therapeutics that combat inflammatory diseases by focusing on novel mechanisms. Please visit (http://www.drugdiscoverycenter.org/) for Dr. Chen’s detailed work.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Lear TB, McKelvey AC, Evankovich J, Rajbhandari S, Coon TA, Dunn SR, Londino JD, McVerry BJ, Zhang Y, Valenzi E, Burton C, Gordon R, Gingras S, Lockwood K, Jurczak MJ, Lafyatis R, Shlomchik MJ, Liu Y, Chen BB. Kiaa0317 regulates pulmonary inflammation through socs2 degradation. JCI Insight. 2019; in press.
Evankovich J, Lear T, Baldwin C, Chen Y, White V, Villandre J, Londino J, Liu Y, McVerry B, Kitsios GD, Mallampalli RK, Chen BB. Toll-Like Receptor 8 Stability is Regulated by Ring Finger 216 in response to circulating MicroRNAs. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2019; Aug 6: doi:10.1165/rcmb.2018-0373OC.
Evankovich, J, Lear, T, McKelvey, A, Dunn, S, Londino, J, Liu, Y, Chen, BB, Mallampalli, RK. Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products is Targeted by Fbxo10 for Ubiquitination and Degradation. FASEB J. 2017; Sep;31(9): 3894-3903.
Bednash, JS, Weathington, NM, Londino, J, Rojas, M, Gulick, DL, Fort, R, Han, S, McKelvey, AC, Chen, BB, Mallampalli, RK. Therapeutic Targeting of the Deubiquitinase STAMBP Reduces Inflammation by Destabilizing the NALP7 Inflammasome. Nature Communication. 2017; 8: 15203.
McKelvey, AC, Lear, T, Dunn, SR, Evankovich, J, Londino, JD, Bednash, JS, Zhang, Y, McVerry, BJ, Liu, Y, Chen, BB. RING Finger E3 Ligase PPP1R11 Regulates TLR2 Signaling and Innate Immunity. eLife. 2016; Nov2;5: e18496.
Lear T, McKelvey AC, Rajbhandari S, Coon TA, Connelly W, Zhao J, Dunn SR, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Kass DJ, Chen BB. Ubiquitin E3 Ligase FIEL1 Regulates Fibrotic Lung Injury through SUMO-E3 Ligase PIAS4. J Exp Med. 2016; May 30;213(6): 1029-46.
Zou, C, Li, J, Xiong, S, Chen, Y, Wu, Q, Weathington, NM, Han, SY, Snavely, C, Chen, BB, Mallampalli, RK. Mortality factor 4 like 1 (Morf4l1) protein mediates epithelial cell death in experimental pneumonia. Sci Trans Med. 2015; Oct 28;7(311): 311ra171.
Coon, TA, McKelvey, AC, Lear, T, Rajbhandari, S, Dunn, RS, Connelly, W, Zhao, J, Han, S, Liu, Y, McVerry, BJ, Zhang, Y, Chen, BB. The proinflammatory role of HECTD2 in innate immunity and experimental lung injury. Sci Trans Med. 2015; Jul8;7(295): 295ra109.
Coon, TA, McKelvey, AC, Weathington, NM, Birru, RL, Lear, T, Leikauf, GD, Chen, BB. Novel PDE4 Inhibitors Derived From Chinese Medicine Forsythia. PLOS ONE. 2014; Dec 30;9(12): e115937.
Chen, BB, Coon, TA, Glasser, JR, Zou, C, Ellis, B, Das, T, McKelvey, AC, Rajbhandari, S, Lear, T, Kamga, C, Shiva, S, Li, C, Pilewski, JM, Callio, J, Chu, CT, Ray, A, Ray, P, Tyurina, YY, Kagan, VE, Mallampalli, RK. E3 ligase subunit Fbxo15 and PINK1 kinase regulate cardiolipin synthase 1 stability and mitochondrial function in pneumonia. Cell Reports. 2014; Apr 24; 7(2): 476-87.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Systematic Investigation of Protein Ubiquitination in ARDS
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R35 HL139850
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2024
Title: Role of Fbxo48-mediated AMPK Proteostasis in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of NAFLD
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, & Kidney Disease
Grant Number: R01 DK119627
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2023
Title: New Mechanisms for Modulating the MALT1 Oncoprotein
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Cancer Institute
Grant Number: R01 CA207196
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Vascular Autophagy as a Mediator of Vascular Aging and Homeostasis
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL142663
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2022
Title: Translational Studies for Identifying and Targeting Novel Pathways in Systemic Sclerosis Pathogenesis (Project 2)
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Arthristis, Muscoskel, & Skin Disease
Grant Number: P50 AR060780
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2022
Title: Stabilizing Mitochondria in Sepsis
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL098174
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: Role of F-Box Proteins in Lung Transplantation
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL133184
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: Role of F-Box Proteins in Lung Transplantation
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL133184
Start Year: 2017
End Year: 2021
Title: F box-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Parkin
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL096376
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2020
Title: Hemostasis and Vascular Biology Research Institute - Chen
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Institute for Transfusion Medicine
Start Year: 2013
End Year: 2028
Notable Achievements
University of Pittsburgh PACCM Outstanding Mentor Award, 2019
NHLBI Emerging Investigator Award (R35), 2018
Munich/Pittsburgh International Lung Conference Investigator Award, 2015
Pitt Innovator Award, 2014
Pittsburgh International Lung Conference Peer Award, 2012

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

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Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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