Wei-Min Chen, Ph.D. 

Meet the Researcher

Wei-Min Chen, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Virginia Department of Public Health Sciences and Center for Public Health Genomics. He earned his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. His research focuses on the design and statistical analysis of human gene mapping data.

The Research

University of Virginia
Susceptibility to chronic otitis media: translating gene to function

Each year in the United States, over $5 billion is spent on healthcare for inflammation of the middle ear (ME) known as otitis media (OM) in children. Some children develop chronic middle ear infections known as chronic otitis media with effusion and/or recurrent otitis media (COME/ROM). Our goal is to find genetic factors that increase risk for COME/ROM in children. The discovery of causal variants would increase knowledge of novel genes and pathways involved in COME/ROM pathogenesis.

Research areas: otitis media, genetics

Long-term goal of research: Findings from our research are expected to improve the clinical prevention of chronic infections; therefore decreasing pediatric antibiotic use, surgery, and deafness.