1989: Ph.D., Physical Oceanography, State University of New York at Stony Brook
1985: M.S., Physical Oceanography, Second Institute of Oceanography
1982: B.S., Physics, Hunan Normal University

2018-present: Professor, joint appointment at Shanghai Jiaotong University
2006-present: Senior Research Scientist, Second Institute of Oceanography
2006-2016: Director, State Key Lab of Satellite Ocen Environment Dynamics
2001-2013: Lamont Research Professor, LDEO of Columbia University
1999-2001: Senior Research Scientist, LDEO of Columbia University
1996-1999: Research Scientist, LDEO of Columbia University
1995-1996: Associate Research Scientist, LDEO of Columbia University
1992-1995: Visiting Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
1989-1992: UCAR postdoctoral fellow, working at University of Rhode Island

Tropical ocean-atmosphere interaction
Polar ocean and climate variability
General ocean circulation and mixing
Coastal ocean dynamics and ecosystem
Oceanic application of satellite remote sensing.

Served as the chief scientist for two national “973” projects and a NSFC Innovative Research Team project. Ongoing projects include “ENSO variability and predictability” (Major project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2017.1-2021.12); “Potential vorticity homogenization theory of the upper ocean general circulation” (Key project of National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2018.1-2022.12); Discipline construction for polar science (Ministry of Natural Resources, 2018.1-2020.12).

10 selected publications out of a total over 200:

Chen, D., N. Smith and W. Kessler, The evolving ENSO observing system. National Science Review, 5, 805–807, 2018.
Chen, D., T. Lian, C. Fu, M.A. Cane, Y. Tang, R. Murtugudde, X. Song, Q. Wu and L. Zhou, Strong influence of westerly wind bursts on El Niño diversity. Nature Geoscience, 8, 339-345, 2015.
Chen, D., Indo-Pacific Tripole: an intrinsic mode of tropical climate variability, Advances in Geosciences, 24, 1-18, 2011.
Chen, D., and X. Yuan, A Markov model for seasonal forecast of Antarctic sea ice. Journal of Climate, 17, 3156-3168, 2004.
Chen, D., M. A. Cane, A. Kaplan, S. E. Zebiak and D. Huang, Predictability of El Niño over the past 148 years. Nature, 428,733-736, 2004.
Chen, D., T. W. Liu, W. Tang and Z. Wang, Air-sea interaction at an oceanic front: implications for frontogenesis and primary production. Geophysical Research Letters, 30, 1745, 2003.
Chen, D., H. W. Ou, and C. Dong, A model study of internal tides in coastal frontal zone. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 33, 170-187, 2003.
Chen, D., M. A. Cane, S. E. Zebiak, Rafael Canizares and A. Kaplan, Bias correction of an ocean-atmosphere coupled model. Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 2585-2588, 2000.
Chen, D., S. E. Zebiak, A. J. Busalacchi and M. A. Cane, An improved procedure for El Niño forecasting: implications for predictability. Science, 269, 1699-1702, 1995.
Chen, D., L. Rothstein, and A. Busalacchi, A hybrid vertical mixing scheme and its application to tropical ocean models. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 24, 2156-2179, 1994.

Deputy Director, China Polar Science and Technology Committee
Member, National Expert Committee for Climate Change
Member, Chinese National Committee for Future Earth (CNC-FE)
Chairman, Pacific-Asian Marginal Seas (PAMS)
Member, Scientific Steering Committee, Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS)
Member, Scientific Steering Committee, Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS)
Editor in Chief, Acta Oceanologica Sinica