Dr. Chen began learning Chinese medicine in China from her father at the age of 16, later undergoing formal Chinese medicine training and gaining her Bachelor degree. Influenced by her mother, a doctor of Western medicine, Dr. Chen also completed Western medicine training at Shandong Medical University, China, in 1984, specialising in internal medicine for 6 years before coming to Australia in 1990. Dr. Chen established Mt Gambier Chinese Medical Centre, SA in April 1995 which she ran successfully for 24 years before returning to Melbourne in 2018.