# Derek Chen

> Software Engineer at BetterHelp | CS @ UPenn

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/derekchen

Check out my GitHub: https://github.com/drkchn

👋 I'm Derek, and I'm a software engineer focusing on building performant backend systems. I studied computer science at the University of Pennsylvania. As a builder at heart, I love developing software as solutions to solving technical challenges. 

To this end, my experience includes interning at Develop for Good, a non-profit organization that seeks to work on social impact projects. Furthermore, I won awards at Stanford Treehacks (DermaDetect)  and two Penn hackathons by building group projects (ResearchRadar.ai at Penn Apps and Civic Central at MOSA Summer of Code). Take a look!

In my free time, I enjoy playing golf and running, and one of my life goals is to run in a marathon race. I've already run a half-marathon race, so we're halfway there!

## Work Experience
### Software Engineer @ BetterHelp
Jan 2026 – Present
🛠️ Full stack engineer with an emphasis on back-end development

### Associate Software Engineer @ BetterHelp
Jan 2024 – Jan 2026

### Software Engineering Intern @ BetterHelp
Jan 2024 – Jan 2024

### Graduate Teaching Assistant @ University of Pennsylvania
Jan 2023 – Present
- CIT 594 Data Structures in Java
- CIT 595 Computer Operating Systems Programming in C
- CIT 596 Algorithms Design (2 semesters)
- CIT 591 OOP Software Development in Python & Java (2 semesters)

Host weekly office hours, develop recitations based on curriculum, monitor discussion forums, collaborate with TA team, and grade assignments for 300+ students.

### Life Science Researcher @ Stanford University School of Medicine
Jan 2019 – Present | Stanford, CA
Involved in multiple single-cell genomics projects and generated datasets for publications, including Nature, Nature Genetics, and Cell. Learned how to perform bioinformatic analyses in R and Python using high-performance computing clusters (Stanford's Sherlock).

### Software Engineer @ Develop for Good
Jan 2023 – Jan 2024
Winter 2024 Cohort

### STEM AmeriCorps (Neighborhood House) @ AmeriCorps
Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | Greater Seattle Area
Served as an AmeriCorps member at Neighborhood House in High Point, Seattle. I worked in STUDIO: Build Our World, the STEAM-based program that promotes STEAM education among underrepresented, low-income, immigrant, or refugee youth. Our program worked with middle and high-school youth. The Washington Service Corps featured My AmeriCorps experience.

### Resident Advisor @ University of Washington
Jan 2016 – Jan 2018

### Undergraduate Research Leader @ University of Washington
Jan 2016 – Jan 2018

### Clinical Undergraduate Researcher @ UW Medicine
Jan 2016 – Jan 2018


## Education
### Master's in Computer Science
University of Pennsylvania

### Bachelor's in Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology with Departmental Honors
University of Washington
Jan 2015 – Jan 2018


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dkcn
- GitHub: https://github.com/drkchn

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Source: https://flows.cv/derekchen
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/derekchen/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-03-20