Chen has been studying in the Department of Art History at CAA for more than ten years and took her bachelor’s, masters and doctoral degree in 1995, 1998 and 2005 respectively. On the same year when he finished his study as a postgraduate, Chen started teaching at CAA and since 2005 she has been teaching in the Department of Design Studies, School of Design. She has been managing the Pan Tianshou Memorial Museum at CAA since 2012 and is currently the Curator of the Museum. 

Chen was a visiting scholar at Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London, UK in 2010, and a visiting scholar at Brandeis University, USA in 2019 sponsored by the China Scholarship Council. She was selected into the third batch of ''151 Talent Project'' of Zhejiang Province. She was supported by the Young Teacher Sponsorship Program of Zhejiang and was awarded CAA New Talent in Teaching.