University of Houston · PharmacologyAdolescent Growth and SSRI Impact Lab
Hua Chen · Houston, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Hua Chen's lab focuses on understanding how selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly prescribed antidepressants, affect growth during puberty. By analyzing large databases of health records, the lab aims to reveal how SSRIs impact height growth in adolescents, particularly boys, and whether stopping the medication can normalize growth rates later. This research is vital for informing clinical decisions regarding the use of SSRIs in young patients.
SSRIsheight growthpubertyadolescentselectronic health records
Research Aims
5AIM 01Characterize the effect of SSRIs on height growth during puberty.
AIM 02Identify the relationship between SSRI dose and growth suppression.
AIM 03Investigate whether different SSRIs have varying effects on height.
AIM 04Determine if height growth normalizes after discontinuation of SSRIs.
AIM 05Assess the long-term effects of SSRIs on adult height.
Skills the Lab Values
data analysisgrowth curve modelingclinical researchstatistical programmingliterature review
Output against the department
Publications333top 23% of dept.106th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.2kbottom 32% of dept.316th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.