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Dr. Chen specializes in earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, structural analysis, and reinforced concrete structures. She has evaluated the performance of reinforced concrete structures under extreme loading conditions using advanced numerical models and nonlinear response history analysis (NLRHA). Her areas of expertise include analyzing the effects of vertical ground movement during earthquakes, tall reinforced concrete building design, and earthquake dynamic analysis.

Dr. Chen received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her doctoral research examined the effect of vertical input ground motions on tall reinforced concrete core-wall buildings through performing nonlinear response history analysis at the risk-targeted Maximum Considered Earthquake (MCER) level. Her work included designing and modeling a 40-story archetypal core-wall building. She developed novel analytical models to represent the nonlinear behavior of slab-column-wall subassemblies and columns under high axial compression, such as those in tall reinforced concrete buildings. For the response history analysis, she developed a custom suite of ground motions that included both the horizontal and vertical components of ground motion.

Dr. Chen has experience teaching graduate and undergraduate-level structural engineering courses at UC Berkeley, including the seismic design of reinforced concrete structures. Dr. Chen also has experience analyzing existing buildings and designing nonstructural components while working at a design consulting firm in San Francisco.