Personal Profile

Chong Wu is an Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University. His research focuses on tumor-associated myeloid cells and progenitor cells. His current work centers on two major directions. First, he investigates how local cell-cell interactions in tumors and the spleen, referred to as the “micro-spatiotemporal environment,” together with tumor-induced systemic alterations, referred to as the “macro-spatiotemporal environment,” regulate myelopoiesis and functional reprogramming of myeloid cells. Second, based on these mechanisms, he develops synthetic regulatory elements and explores new strategies for using myeloid cells as chassis cells, with the goal of advancing synthetic immunology-based therapeutic approaches.

Academic Appointments and Education

Mar 2022–present, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University

Jul 2017–Feb 2022, Postdoctoral Fellow / Specially Appointed Associate Research Fellow, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University

Sep 2011–Jun 2017, Ph.D. in Basic Medical Sciences, Molecular Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University
Advisor: Professor Limin Zheng

Sep 2007–Jun 2011, B.S. in Biology, Yat-sen Honors Program / School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University

Teaching

Specialized Advanced Training for Elite Undergraduate Program 2.0
Integrated Cell Biology
Principles and Techniques of Biochemical Separation and Analysis
Frontiers in Biotechnology
Seminar in Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Seminar in Tumor Biology and Immunology
Comprehensive Laboratory in Biotechnology

Student Competition Supervision

Advisor, 9th China Undergraduate Life Sciences Contest, CULSC. The supervised team received the National First Prize and the Provincial First Prize. Award-winning students: Aiqin Huang, Zongqian Li, Yuanshuo Sun, and Tianxiang Luo, 2024.

Research Funding (Grants as Principal Investigator)

  • General Program, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jan 2026–Dec 2029, ongoing, Principal Investigator
  • Excellent Young Scientists Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jan 2024–Dec 2026, ongoing, Principal Investigator
  • Open Project, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Apr 2024–Sep 2024, completed, Principal Investigator
  • General Program, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Jan 2022–Dec 2024, completed, Principal Investigator
  • Young Scientists Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jan 2020–Dec 2022, completed, Principal Investigator
  • General Program, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Jan 2020–Dec 2021, completed, Principal Investigator
  • Young Faculty Development Program, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Jan 2020–Dec 2022, completed, Principal Investigator
  • Special Grant, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Jun 2019–Dec 2020, completed, Principal Investigator

  • General Grant, First Class, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Jan 2019–Dec 2020, completed, Principal Investigator

Publications

Selected Publications as First Author and/or Corresponding Author, Including Co-first and Co-corresponding Authorship

1. J. Xu#; C. Zhu#; L. Xie; Y. Liu; J. Li; L. Wang; L. Ye; Y. Zhang; Z. Wang*; L. Zheng*; C. Wu*; H.T. Chen*. Multimodal single-cell protein and RNA profiling unveils dysregulated immature neutrophil dynamics in gestational diabetes mellitus. Commun Biol, 2026, 9: 316.  (*共同通讯作者)

2. Y. Weng#; L. Wang#; Y. Wang; J. Xu; X. Fan; S. Luo; Q. Hua; J. Xu; G. Liu; K.-B. Zhao; C.-A. Zhao; D.-M. Kuang; C. Wu*; L. Zheng* ; Spatial Organization of Macrophages in CTL-Rich Hepatocellular Carcinoma Influences CTL Antitumor Activity. Cancer Immunol Res, 2025, 13(3): 310-322. (*共同通讯作者)

3. S. Luo#, H. Lin#, C. Wu#*, L Zhu, Q. Hua, Y. Weng, L. Wang, X. Fan, K.B. Zhao, G. Liu, Y Wang, H.T. Chen, L. Xu, L. Zheng*. Cholinergic macrophages promote the resolution of peritoneal inflammation. PNAS, 2024, 121(27): e2402143121. (#共同第一作者, *共同通讯作者)

4. M. Liu#, C. Wu#*, S. Luo, Q. Hua, H.-T. Chen, Y Weng, J. Xu, H. Lin, L. Wang, J. Li, L. Zhu, Z. Guo, S.-M. Zhuang, T. Kang, L. Zheng*. PERK reprograms hematopoietic progenitor cells to direct tumor-promoting myelopoiesis in the spleen. J Exp Med, 2022, 219(4): e20211498. (#共同第一作者, *共同通讯作者)

5. C. Wu#, J. Lin#, Y. Weng, D.N. Zeng, J. Xu, S. Luo, L. Xu, M. Liu, Q. Hua, C.Q. Liu, J.Q. Li, J. Liao, C. Sun, J. Zhou, M.S. Chen, C. Liu, Z. Guo, S.M. Zhuang, J.H. Huang, and L. Zheng, Myeloid signature reveals immune contexture and predicts the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Clin Invest, 2020, 130(9): 4679-93. (#共同第一作者)

6. C. Wu, H. Ning, M. Liu, J. Lin, S. Luo, W. Zhu, J. Xu, W.C. Wu, J. Liang, C.K. Shao, J. Ren, B. Wei, J. Cui, M.S. Chen and L. Zheng. Spleen mediates a distinct hematopoietic progenitor response supporting tumor-promoting myelopoiesis. J Clin Invest, 2018, 128(8): 3425-38. (第一作者)

7. S. Luo, H. Lin, L. Zhu, H.T. Chen, S. Yang, J. Li, M. Liu, L. Zheng, C. Wu*. Optimized intracellular staining reveals heterogeneous cytokine production ability of murine and human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Front Immunol, 2021, 12:654094. (*通讯作者)

8. C. Wu, Q. Hua, and L. Zheng. Generation of myeloid cells in cancer: The spleen matters. Front Immunol, 2020, 11:1126. (Invited Review; IF = 8.8)

9. J. Liang#, H. Zhou#, X.Q. Huang#, Y.F. Liu, L. Zhang, D. He, Y. Cui, J. Guo, K. Hu*, C. Wu*. A Myeloid Signature-Based Nomogram Predicts the Postoperative Recurrence of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, Front Mol Biosci, 2021, 8: 742953. (*共同通讯作者)

10. C. Wu and L. Zheng. Proteomics promises a new era of precision cancer medicine. Signal Transduct Target Ther, 2019, 4(1): 13. (Research Highlight)

11. Y.M. Meng#, J. Liang#, C. Wu#, J. Xu, D.N. Zeng, X.J. Yu, H. Ning, L. Xu and L. Zheng. Monocytes/Macrophages promote vascular CXCR4 expression via the ERK pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncoimmunology, 2018, 7(3): e1408745. (#共同第一作者)