Assistant Professor Chen Kaiwen

Biography

Dr Chen Kaiwen obtained his PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia, where his doctoral research focused on inflammasome biology. He was subsequently awarded a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Swiss ESKAS Fellowship, which supported his postdoctoral training at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where he investigated gasdermin biology and the crosstalk between cell death modalities during infection. He joined NUS as an Assistant Professor in October 2020.

Research Interest

Programmed cell death, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis, plays essential roles in development, the elimination of infected or transformed cells, and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of these pathways has been implicated in a broad range of human diseases. Our laboratory is interested in defining the molecular mechanisms that regulate the activation and termination of programmed cell death, with particular emphasis on infection. We are also interested in how pathogens subvert and modulate cell death pathways and innate immunity, how the tissue microenvironment shapes cell death responses, and how cell death outcomes influence immune regulation.

Recent Publications

1. Threat assessment shapes neutrophil cell fate upon inflammasome activation. Yow SJ, Wu B-C, Pung HS, Rosli SN, Yeap HW, Goh GR, Low KE, Bonne I, Shi J, Yu Z, Osato M, Kneafsey D, Chapelle G, The YC, Chong SZ, Ng MSF, Kwok I, Bezbradica JS, Boucher D, Chen KW#. Sci Adv, 2026, Jun 26; 12(26).
2. A bacterial network of T3SS effectors counteracts host pro-inflammatory responses and cell death to promote infection. Yeap HW, Goh RY, Rosli SN, Pung HS, Giogha C, Eng VV, Pearson JS, Hartland EL, Chen KW#. EMBO J, 2025, 2025, 1-22.
3. TBK1 and IKKε prevent premature cell death by limiting the activity of both RIPK1 and NLRP3 death pathways. Fischer FA, Demarco B, Min FCH, Yeap HW, De Nardo D, Chen KW, Bezbradica JS. Sci Adv, 2025 Mar 7;11(10).
4. Plasticity of cell death pathways ensures GSDMD activation during Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection. Chan FHM, Yeap HW, Liu Z, Rosli SN, Low KE, Bonne I, Wu Y, Chong SZ, Chen KW#. Cell Rep, 2025, Jan 28;44(1):115216.
5. Gasdermins as evolutionarily conserved executors of inflammation and cell death. Chen KW# and Broz P#. Nat Cell Biol, 2024 Sep;26(9):1394-1406.
6. Differential signalling requirements for RIPK1-dependent pyroptosis in neutrophils and macrophages. Yow SJ, Rosli SN, Hutchinson PE, Chen KW#. Cell Death Dis, 2024, 15:479.
7. RIPK1 activates distinct gasdermins in macrophages and neutrophils upon pathogen blockade of innate immune signalling. Chen KW#, Demarco B, Ramos S, Heilig R, Goris M, Grayczyk JP, Assenmacher CA, Radaelli E, Joannas LD, Henao-Mejia J, Tacchini-Cottier F, Brodsky IE, Broz P#. PNAS, 2021, 118(28).
8. Caspase-8-dependent gasdermin D cleavage promotes anti-microbial defence but confers susceptibility to TNF-induced lethality. Demarco B, Grayczyk JP, Bjanes E, Le Roy D, Tonnus W, Assenmacher C-A, Radaelli E, Fettrelet T, Mack V, Linkermann A, Roger T, Brodsky IE, Chen KW#, Broz P#. Sci Adv, 2020, Nov 18; 6(47).