Dr. Chen's research topics concern computational x-ray sciences and condensed matter physics. His group uses quantum many-body theories, first-principles calculations, and machine learning simulations to study novel quantum and functional materials, such as quantum magnets, unconventional superconductors, topological states of matter, and superhard materials. He is currently the PI for an NSF grant titled "RII Track-4: Big Data and Massive Computation Approaches to Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Strongly Correlated Materials" (award No. OIA-1738698) and a Co-PI for an NSF grant titled "Shear Strength and Phase Transformations in Transition Metals and Their Diborides Under Terapascal Pressures" (award No. DMR-1904164).