Subrina Shen teaches entrepreneurship and innovation in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research examines the creation and evaluation of innovative ideas in contexts with high uncertainty, such as when multiple goals/evaluation criteria exist, and/or when there are multiple paths of development (e.g., in nascent technology sectors). In studying these issues, Shen examines both the evolutionary process and the underlying social interaction that drives idea generation and selection. ​​​

She has also taught in the business and sociology departments at Cornell University. Shen has been published in Organization Science and Strategic Management Journal. Her research has won several awards, including the 2021 Conference Theme Best Paper Award from the International Association of Chinese Management Research and the Best Paper Award from the 2018 International Conference on Innovation Studies.

She holds a Ph.D. in management and organization and an M.A. in sociology, both from Cornell University. Shen also has a M.Ph. degree in sociology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a B.A. in journalism and communication from Tsinghua University in Beijing.