Wen Chen, a CalTech scientific analyst, provided a Zoom presentation about Chinese Medicine and Meditation for the Melissa Rotary Club meeting on May 5th. Wen told the audience that Chinese medicine has a deep root in Taoism theories regarding the human body as a miniature universe. Ancient Chinese believed that the prevention of getting ill is more critical than any cure. A healthy lifestyle includes eating the right food. Food is also the primary source of medicine when one is sick. There is a very long history of meditation in China to keep people calm and give them wisdom. The Club heard about legends about ancient Chinese doctors and discussed how these wise people integrated traditional values into their practice to cure individuals and positively impact society.
Wen has been working for Caltech since 2000 as a biologist and information scientist on genomics and biological research. Her everyday work includes scientific outreach by speaking at conferences and seminars in universities like UC San Diego and Harvard Medical School. In her personal life, she is an active member of Amnesty International, focusing on human rights in China. She is also a board member for Caltech Women in Biology and Biological Engineering. She lives in Pasadena with her husband and two teenage daughters.