Research Profile

• Dr. Zheng Chen’s current research work lies in environmental cognition and its application to enhancing wellbeing via built environmental design. She conducted research studies to evaluate in-situ environmental emotional responses and well-being, by measuring physiological responses via wearable bio-sensors, including EEG(Electroencephalography), skin conductance, EKG(Electrocardiography), EMG(Electromyography) as well as other biosensors. Besides evaluation, she also explores integrating those real-time bio-signals via HCI (human-computer interface). She had two research projects funded by Chinese National Science Foundation, and another two funded by government.

Current Courses

• 2023F-Present, Human-Centered Green Infrastructure Analysis (graduate, in Chinese/English, Tongji)

• 2013F-Present, Landscape Planning Studio I (undergrad, in Chinese, Tongji)

• 2018F-Present, Research Methods (grad, in Chinese, Tongji)

Grants

• “Precise Repairing of Urban Street Landscape via In-situ Environmental Experience Computing” (51878461), Principal Investigator, Natural Science Foundation of China, 01/2019-12/2022, RMB 600,000.

• An evidence-based model of in situ environmental perception and its application to visual resource analysis, management and design(51408429), Principal Investigator, Natural Science Foundation of China, 01/2015-12/2017, RMB 250,000.

• In-situ environment perception in urban areas using electroencephalography (14PJC099), Principal Investigator, Shanghai Pujiang Program, Shanghai Municipal Science & Technology Commission, 09/2014 - 09/2016, RMB 100,000.

Selected Publications

1. Yu, X., Chen, Z., Liu, F., & Zhu, H. (2023). How urban metro networks grow: From a complex network perspective. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, 131, 104841.

2. Yu, Y., Chen, Z., Bu, J., & Zhang, Q. (2020). Do Stairs Inhibit Seniors Who Live on Upper Floors From Going Out? HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 13(4), 128-143. doi:10.1177/1937586720936588

3. Chen, Z., He, Y., & Yu, Y. (2020). Attention restoration during environmental exposure via alpha-theta oscillations and synchronization. Journal of environmental psychology, 68, 101406. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101406

4. Chen, Z., Schulz, S., Qiu, M., Yang, W., He, X., Wang, Z., & Yang, L. (2018). Assessing affective experience of in-situ environmental walk via wearable biosensors for evidence-based design. Cognitive Systems Research, 52(2018), 970-977. doi:https://doi.org/10/1016/j.cogsys.2018.09.003

5. Chen, Z., Miller, P. A., Clements, T. L., & Kim, M. (2017). Mapping Research in Landscape Architecture: Balancing Supply of Academic Knowledge and Demand of Professional Practice. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(7), 3653-3673. doi:10.12973/eurasia.2017.00751a

6. Chen, Z., He, Y., & Yu, Y. (2016). Enhanced functional connectivity properties of human brains during in-situ nature experience. PeerJ, 4, e2210. doi:10.7717/peerj.2210

7. Chen, Z., He, Y., & Yu, Y. (2015). Natural environment promotes deeper brain functional connectivity than built environment? BMC Neuroscience, 16(Suppl 1), P294. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/16/S1/P294