Dillon Chen, MD, PhD

Dr. Dillon Chen is a board-certified pediatric neurologist and clinician-scientist whose work focuses on neonatal neurology, neurodevelopment, and brain injury. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, where he is building a translational research program that integrates bedside clinical observation with molecular neuroscience, glycobiology, and biomedical engineering. Dr. Chen received his undergraduate training in neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by combined MD/PhD training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where his doctoral research defined fundamental molecular mechanisms of long-term memory consolidation. He completed pediatric and pediatric neurology residencies at the University of California, San Diego/Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego. He subsequently pursued advanced training in glycobiology through an NIH-funded Career Development Award. Prior to joining Yale, he spent more than two years in clinical development and directed first-in-human clinical trial for neurological diseases at Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, CA. His current research centers on human-specific glyco-immune signaling pathways—particularly Siglec receptors in microglia—and their roles in neurodevelopment, neonatal brain injury, and pediatric brain tumors. In parallel, he collaborates with engineers to develop novel brain monitoring technologies. Dr. Chen has authored numerous high-impact publications spanning molecular neuroscience, pediatric neurology, neurogenetics, and glycobiology, has received multiple teaching and research honors, and previously directed first-in-human clinical trials in neurological disease