Associate Professor, Principal Investigator, Doctoral Supervisor

Deputy Director (Acting) of the Center for Psychological Development, Tsinghua University

Education

DPhil, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford

MSc, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney

BSc, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney

Research Overview

Our research is guided by an integrative, cross-level framework linking biological processes with neural and psychological phenotypes. We use multimodal approaches spanning genomics, neuroimaging, peripheral biomarkers, behavioral measures, and digital phenotyping to examine how genetic susceptibility, neurodevelopmental alterations, behavioral patterns, and environmental stressors interact to shape risk and resilience related to self-harm and suicidal outcomes. Building on this framework, our research team develops multimodal risk stratification systems and translates them into real-world clinical and school-based settings, with the aim of designing tiered early-warning and intervention strategies for the general population, high-risk individuals, and clinical patients.

Our work has been published in leading journals, including Nature Health, Nature Mental Health, Nature Reviews Psychology, The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, PLOS Medicine, Molecular Psychiatry, British Journal of Psychiatry. Our research is supported by funding from the National Health Commission of China, Ministry of Education, National Natural Science Foundation of China, UNICEF, Beijing Natural Science Foundation, and the Capital Health Development Research Program. I currently serve on the editorial boards of BMC Medicine, Child Abuse & Neglect, Social Science & Medicine, and Bipolar Disorders.

Laboratory Website

https://www.ymhlab.com/

The lab is actively recruiting Postdoctoral Fellows, PhD students, Master’s students, Research Assistants, and Undergraduate Students. Applicants with aligned research interests are warmly encouraged to contact via email.

Selected Publications

1. Qu D, Liu B, Zhang X, Cai Cheng, Chen D, Liu D, Wen X, Wu Z, Sun S, Saxena S, An J*, Chen R*. School based suicide prevention using the gatekeeper programme: a cluster-randomized trial, Nature Health, 2026, in press

2. Luo X, Zhang Q, Qu D, Zu Y, Wang S, Jin Y, Liu B, Xu Y, Li N, Tian X, Huang X, Shirazi, A, Zheng R*, Chen R*. Universal school-based transdiagnostic interventions to improve mental health and well-being among Chinese adolescents: A cluster randomised controlled trial, Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2026, in press

3. Qu D, Che L, Chen P, Zhu A, Cai T, Wu W, Li W, Lin J, Liu B, Zhang Q, Zhang Z, Cui Z, Chen R*. Effectiveness of network analysis driven personalized digital interventions versus standard intervention for depression: A proof-of-concept pilot randomized controlled trial, Molecular Psychiatry, 2026, in press

4. Wen X, Sun S, Lin D, Yue W*, Chen R*. A social-ecological approach on social contagion of self-harm, Nature Reviews Psychology, 2025

5. Zhang C, Qu D, Chong D, Lei C, Shen Y, Cui X, He Y, Li Y, Ou J*, Chen R*. Brief digital psychological intervention to prevent relapse of non-suicidal self-injury behavior in adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2025

6. Wen X, Sun Y, Wang S, Yue W*, Chen R*. Genetic and neurobiological mechanisms underlying transition in self-injury thoughts and behaviors during adolescence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2025

7. Sun Y, Liao Y, Zhang Y, Bi W*, Chen R*, Yue W*. Multitrait GWAS of non-suicidal self-injury and the polygenetic effects on child psychopathology and brain structures. Cell Reports Medicine, 2025

8. Qu D, Xu Zhang, He Y, Mao Y*, Chen R*. Genetic approach uncovering the causal pathways linking childhood maltreatment to suicide attempt. Molecular Psychiatry, 2025

9. Sun Y, Liao Y, Zhang Y, Chen R*, Bi W*, Yue W*. Genome-wide interaction association analysis identifies interactive effects of childhood maltreatment and kynurenine pathway on depression. Nature Communications, 2025

10. Wang J*, Yu J, Du X, Yin C, Zhang Z, Duan Y, Chen R*. Understanding social influence of non-suicidal self-injury: the interplay of peer networks and adolescent behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2025

11. Qu D, Wen X, Cheng X, Zhu A, Wu Z, Che L, Chen R*. School mental health prevention and intervention strategies in China: a scoping review. The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific, 2024

12. Cui Z, Lei C, Wu W, Duan Y, Qu D, Wu J, Chen R*, Zhang C*. Spontaneous speech-based suicide risk detection using whisper and large language models. Interspeech, 2024

13. Zhao S, Su H, Cong J, Wen X, Yang H, Chen P, Wu G, Fan Q, Ma Y, Xu X, Hu C, Li H, Keller A, Chen R*, Cui Z. Hierarchical individual variation and socioeconomic impact on personalized functional network topography in children. BMC Medicine, 2024.

14. Wang J, Wei Z, Jia L, Yu J, Wang Y, Meng Y, Feng Y*, Chen R*. Can digital self‐harm relate to suicidal thoughts and behaviors beyond physical self‐harm? Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2024

15. Wen X, Qu D, Wang Y, Cui Z*, Zhang X*, Chen R*. The transition trajectories of self-Injurious thoughts and behaviors among children from biopsychosocial perspective: a population-based cohort study. Nature Mental Health, 2023

16. Wen X, Qu D, Liu D, Shu Y, Zhao S, Wu G, Cui Z*, Zhang X*, Chen R*. Brain structural and functional signatures of multi-generational family history of suicidal behaviors in preadolescent children. Molecular Psychiatry, 2023

17. Lei C, Qu D, Liu K, Chen R*. Using ecological momentary assessment and machine learning for suicidal ideation prediction. JAMA Network Open, 2023

18. Wen X, Shu Y, Qu D, Wang Y, Cui Z, Zhang X*, Chen R*. Associations of bullying perpetration and peer victimization subtypes with preadolescent' s suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, neurocognition and brain development. BMC Medicine, 2023

19. Qu D, Wen X, Zhang X, He Y, Chen D, Yue W*, Chen R*. Non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese population: a scoping review of prevalence, method, risk factors and preventive interventions. The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific, 2023

20. Han M, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Ou J*, Chen R*. A multi-component digital intervention to promote help-seeking for mental health problems and suicide in sexual and gender diverse young adults: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS Medicine, 2023

21. Duan Y, Xu S*, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wang Y*, Chen R*. Blind box over- engagement and suicide risk among adolescents and young adults. eClinicalMedicine, 2022

22. Wang Y, Hu Z, Feng Y, Wilson A, Chen R*. Changes in network centrality of psychopathology symptoms between the COVID-19 outbreak and after peak. Molecular Psychiatry, 2020

23. Chen R*, Cui Z*, Capitao L, Wang G, Satterthwaite TD, Harmer CJ. Precision biomarkers for mood disorders based on brain imaging. BMJ, 2020