Dr. Catherine Wu

Biography

Dr. Catherine Ju-Ying Wu's laboratory focuses on dissecting the underlying mechanisms of the pathobiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with the goal of rationally generating effective therapies, particularly immune-based treatments for this common adult leukemia. As a principal investigator, she leads center-initiated clinical trials that examine the effects of a personalized whole tumor cell-based vaccine on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant treatment for CLL. A major priority of her studies is the identification of tumor-specific antigens that allow for effective tumor targeting with minimal collateral toxicity. By utilizing exome and transcriptome sequencing technologies, her lab identifies unique mutated leukemia antigens that arise from individual-specific genetic alterations in tumors, potentially paving the way for developing personalized tumor vaccines. Additionally, through large-scale genome analysis of CLL, her laboratory has discovered key mutated genes and pathways involved in the disease. Ongoing studies focus on systematic analyses coupling tumor genotype with phenotype, understanding CLL tumor heterogeneity, and conducting mechanistic studies of novel CLL driver genes.

Research Interests