Meet Merry Chen, M.D.
Merry Chen, M.D.
Department of Neuro-Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology, Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Assistant Professor, Neuro Oncology, Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Associate Professor, Neuro Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Clinical Interests
My training is in Adult Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy. My interest is in Cancer Neurology and Neurophysiology.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2005 | State University of New York Downstate Medical Center/City University of New York at Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York, US, Medicine, Doctor of Medicine |
| 2001 | City University of New York at Brooklyn College/State University of New York Downstate Medical School, Brooklyn, New York, US, Chemistry and Psychology, Bachelor of Arts |
Postgraduate Training
| 2009-2011 | Clinical Fellowship, Clinical Neurophysiology EEG/Epilepsy, New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell, New York, New York |
| 2006-2009 | Clinical Residency, Adult Neurology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts |
| 2005-2006 | Preliminary Year (PGY-1), Internal Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, New York |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2016 | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with Subspecialty in Epilepsy |
| 2016 | American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology with Added Competency in Epilepsy Monitoring |
| 2011 | Texas Medical License |
| 2009 | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology |
| 2009 | New York State Medical License |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Chair, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2021 - Present
Intramural Institutional Committee Activities
Chair, Scientific Review Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2021 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Member, Cancer Neurology Planning Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2017 - Present
Member, Neuro-oncology Faculty Recruitment Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2017 - Present
Member, Clinical Research Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2016 - Present
Member, Faculty Senate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2016 - 2020
Honors & Awards
| 2019 | Best Scientific Review Committee Attendance |
| 2013 - 2023 | Rounding Recognition in the Clinic, MDACC |
| 2009 - 2023 | American Epilepsy Society |
| 2009 - 2023 | American Clinical Neuropohysiology Society |
| 2009 | American Biographical Institute's, 2010 Woman of the Year in Medicine and Healthcare Award |
| 2006 - 2023 | American Academy of Neurology |
| 2006 - 2007 | Cambridge's Who's Who |
| 2003 | Special Recognition Award in Community Service |
| 2000 - 2023 | Phi Beta Kappa |
| 2000 | Louis Gibofsky Memorial Award in Chemistry |
| 1998 - 2023 | Golden Key National Honour Society |
| 1997 - 2001 | NYSHESC - Robert C. Bryd Honors Scholarship |
| 1997 - 2001 | E.C. Hallbeck Memorial Scholarship |
| 1997 - 2001 | NYSHESC - Merit Scholarship |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2022. Why I chose medicine, my path, and chosen specialty. Invited. Bellaire High School : Students without Borders and Medical Club. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Seizure in cancer patients and treatment of status epilepticus. Invited. Emergency Medicine Education Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Seizure in cancer patients, antiepileptic drugs, and treatment of status epilepticus. Invited. Friday lecture series to the Trainees and Advanced Practice Providers in Neuro-Oncology (Given quarterly). Houston, Texas, US.
- 2017. Neuroimaing and other related topics for Psychiatrists. Invited. Psychiatry Educational Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2016. Seizure recognition and management education. Invited. CNS Radiation-Oncology Clinical Nurses and Staff. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2013. Brain metastases and seizures & Chemotherapy induced peripheral neruopathies. Invited. Gynecology Oncology Fellows Meeting. Houston, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2014. Primary natural killer/T-cell lymphoma presenting as Leptomeningeal disease. Conference. 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Philadelphia, PA, US.
- 2010. The diagnostic utility of routine (20-40 minutes) electroencephalgram in elucidating the etiology of altered mental status not otherwise specified. Conference. The diagnostic utility of routine (20-40 minutes) electroencephalgram in elucidating the etiology of altered mental status not otherwise specified. San Antonio, TX, US.
Formal Peers
- 2024. Financial tidbits for the medical professional. Talk given at least quarterly to the Neurology residents, Fellows, and Nurse Practitioners as part of education series at MDACC. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Seizure in cancer patients and treatment of status epilepticus. Talk to the ER Department as part of the education series at MDACC. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Seizure in cancer patients and treatment of status epilepticus. Talk given quarterly to the Neurology residents, Fellows, and Nurse Practitioners as part of the education series at MDACC. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2017. Neuro-Imaging and other related topics for Psychiatrists. Talk given to the Psychiatry Department as part of the Psychiatry Educational Lecture Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2016. 2.Seizure Recognition and Management Education. Talk given to the Radiation oncology nurses and staff in MDACC. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2013. Brain metastasis and seizures, as well as on Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathies. Gynecology Fellows at MDACC, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Deboever, N, Xu, Y, Feldman, HA, Woodman, K, Chen, M, Shih, YT, Rajaram, R. Outcomes after thymectomy in non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis. Journal of Thoracic Disease 15(6):3048-3053, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37426145.
- Choi JS, Chen M, McQuade JL, Appelbaum E, Gidley PW, Nader ME. Recurrent audiovestibular dysfunction and associated neurological immune-related adverse events in a melanoma patient treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab. Head Neck 42(11):E35-E42, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32888241.
- Santos-Pinheiro F, Park M, Liu D, Kwong LN, Cruz S, Levine NB, O'Brien BJ, Chen M. Seizure burden pre- and postresection of low-grade gliomas as a predictor of tumor progression in low-grade gliomas. Neurooncol Pract 6(3):209-217, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31386048.
- Gutierrez C, Chen M, Feng L, Tummala S. Non-Convulsive Seizures in the Encephalopathic Critically Ill Cancer Patient Does Not Necessarily Portend a Poor Prognosis. J Intensive Care 7:62, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31890224.
- Romano G, Chen PL, Song P, McQuade JL, Liang RJ, Liu M, Roh W, Duose DY, Carapeto FCL, Li J, Teh JLF, Aplin AE, Chen M, Zhang J, Lazar AJ, Davies MA, Futreal PA, Amaria RN, Zhang DY, Wargo JA, Kwong LN. A Preexisting Rare PIK3CAE545K Subpopulation Confers Clinical Resistance to MEK plus CDK4/6 Inhibition in NRAS Melanoma and Is Dependent on S6K1 Signaling. Cancer Discov 8(5):556-567, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29496665.
- Ezzeldin M, Yassin A, Fang X, Chen M. Episodic receptive aphasia associated with HSV-2 encephalitis. Neurologica Cases 2(2):8-10, 2015. e-Pub 2015.
- Pemmaraju N, Sasaki K, Johnson D, Daver N, Afshar-Kharghan V, Chen M, Ahmed S, Colen RR, Kwon M, Huh Y, Borthakur G. Successful Treatment of Intracranial Hemorrhage with Recombinant Activated Factor VII in a Patient with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Front Oncol 5:29, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25717439.
- Liao B, Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Gong Y, Chen M, Wolf BA, Fowler NH. Primary natural killer/T-cell lymphoma presenting as leptomeningeal disease. J Neurol Sci 343(1-2):46-50, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24880537.
- Chen M, Lee G, Kwong LN, Lamont S, Chaves C. Cerebral white matter lesions in patients with Crohn's disease. J Neuroimaging 22(1):38-41, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 21091817.
Review Articles
- Walbert T, Harrison RA, Schiff D, Avila EK, Chen M, Kandula P, Lee JW, Le Rhun E, Stevens GHJ, Vogelbaum MA, Wick W, Weller M, Wen PY, Gerstner ER. SNO and EANO practice guideline update: Anticonvulsant prophylaxis in patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors. Neuro Oncol 23(11):1835-1844, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34174071.
Other Articles
- Thatikonda, N, Chen, M Sarcoid Associated Myelopathy Presenting as Idiopathic Inflammatory Demyelinating Disease. Neurology India 72(5):1128-1129, 2024. PMID: 39428807.
- Thatikonda N, Chen M Autonomic dysfunction induced by single cycle combination therapy with Paclitaxel-Cisplatin, 2024.
- Deboever N, Xu Y, Feldman HA, Woodman KH, Chen M, Shih YC, Rajaram R Outcomes after thymectomy in non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis, 2023.
Abstracts
- Aaroe A, Munoz KA, Bornstein C, Kell T, Camp S, Chen M, Woodman K, Tummala S, Kleiman A, de Groot J, Loghin M. A Retrospective Single Center Experience with Nonbacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis and Stroke- Outcomes, Anticoagulation strategies, and incorporation of Next- Generation Sequencing Data. American Academy of Neurology, 2020. e-Pub 2020.
- Gutierrez C, Chen M, Tummala S. Significance of slowing during bedside electroencephalogram of critically ill cancer patients. Society Critical Care Medicine Critical Care Congress, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Sun, Ruiqing, Tummala, Sudhakar, Chen, Merry. Nivolumab-induced myasthenia gravis with myositis in patients with genitourinary cancer, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Sun RL, Patel N, Chen M, Kleiman A. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in patients on chemotherapy with mild elevated blood pressure (BP), 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Shah V, Jazebi N, Chen M. Ischemic Stroke After CAR-T Cell Therapy, 2019. e-Pub 2019.
- Santos-Pinheiro F, Park M, Liu D, Kwong LN, Cruz S, Levine NB, O’brien BJ, Chen M. Seizure burden pre- and postresection of low-grade gliomas as a predictor of tumor progression in low-grade gliomas. International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2018. e-Pub 2018.
- Moghimi N, Ezzeldin M, Chen M. Septic Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis secondary to chronic corticosteroid use in a cancer patient. American Neurological Association, 2016. e-Pub 2016.
- Kamiya-Matsuoka C, Liao B, Gong Y, Chen M, Woodman K, Fowler N, Conrad C. Primary natural killer/T-cell lymphoma presenting as Leptomeningeal disease. American Academy of Neurology 82(10):PO7.260, 2014. e-Pub 2014.
- Ezzeldin M, Yassin A, Chen M. HSV 2 encephalitis presenting as episodic receptive aphasia. American Academy of Neurology, 2014. e-Pub 2014.
- Chen M, Claudine Sinsioco, Nitin Sethi, Gail Solomon. The diagnostic utility of routine (20-40 minutes) electroencephalogram in elucidating the etiology of altered mental status not otherwise specified. American Epilepsy Society.
- Clarke N, Chen M. Immune checkpoint inhibitor encephalitis: A retrospective cohort study. SNO.
- Madiha T, Clarke N, Chen M. Mycobacterial Meningitis as an early complication of Bacille Calmette-Guerin Intravesical Chemotherapy in the setting of a systemic infection. American Academy Neurology.
- Patel R, Joseph C, Chen M. Cryptococcal Meningitis Misdiagnosed as LMD- A Case Series. American Academy of Neurology.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026