Dr. Chen received her master’s degree in nursing from Taipei Medical University with a focus on exercise prescription & exercise training in patients with chronic diseases, and cardiac rehabilitation. Her master’s thesis demonstrated the effectiveness of an exercise training in heart transplant patients using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Dr. Chen earned her PhD degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in May 2016. During her PhD study, she worked with nurse scientists in a NIH-funded large R01 level study, entitled “A family-based diabetes intervention for Hispanic adults in an emerging community” (PI: Dr. Jie Hu). Dr. Chen’s doctoral dissertation examined the effectiveness of a lifestyle-based intervention on physical activity, blood pressure, and health-related quality of life in older adults with hypertension. Currently, Dr. Chen’s primary area of research focuses on the development of theory-based physical activity programs and lifestyle interventions to reduce health disparities in older adults, both locally and globally.
