Chen's original field of study was immunology. She entered Brigham Young at the age of 16 and from there went directly on to graduate school, receiving her Master's degree in immunology. At 26, she completed her PhD in microbiology.
陳昭妃念的本來就是免疫學，她在十六歲那年就進了猶他州的楊百翰大學，然後一路保送念研究所，碩士念免疫學，二十六歲那年就拿到微生物學博士。