Xifeng Wu
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Xifeng Wu () is a Chinese-American cancer
epidemiologist Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
known for her
cohort studies A cohort study is a particular form of longitudinal study that samples a cohort (a group of people who share a defining characteristic, typically those who experienced a common event in a selected period, such as birth or graduation), performing ...
designed to discover the causes of cancer. She has been Dean of the School of Public Health of
Zhejiang University Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...
since March 2019. She previously served as Director of the Center for Public Health and Translational Genomics and the Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention at the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers ...
until she was forced to resign in January 2019, as part of the Trump administration's push to counter Chinese influence in American research according to
Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
.


Early life and education

Wu was born into a family of
Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...
practitioners in
Jintan Jintan District is a district under the administration of Changzhou in the Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. History Jintan, known as Jinshan () in ancient times, was a township of Yanling commandery since the reign of the ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
, China. She earned an MD at
Shanghai Medical College The Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, formerly the independent Shanghai Medical University, is one of the oldest and most prestigious medical schools in China. Clinical medicine of the Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University is c ...
in 1984, and a master's degree in
occupational health Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...
from
Zhejiang Medical University Zhejiang Medical University () was a former university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. In 1998, was merged into Zhejiang University to become its Medical School. History In 1952–53, due to the Adjustment for University Colleges and Depa ...
(now Zhejiang University School of Medicine) in 1987. She subsequently became a researcher at the Zhejiang Academy of Medical Science. In 1989, she was offered a fellowship by a French professor she had met at a conference and went to France to conduct postdoctoral research at the National Laboratory of Industrial Environment and Risk Analysis. In 1991, she moved to
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
to join her husband, and received a scholarship to study at the
University of Texas School of Public Health The UTHealth School of Public Health is one of six component institutions of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The Texas Legislature authorized the creation of a school of public health in 1947, but did not appropriate fun ...
. She received her PhD in
epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
1994 from the University of Texas Health Science Center. Her dissertation was ''Genetic susceptibility, cigarette smoking, and wood dust exposure in lung cancer: Case control analyses'', and her advisors were Margaret Spitz and George Delclos.


Career

While still a graduate student, Wu joined the faculty of
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the original three comprehensive cancer centers ...
. In 2011, she was named Chair of Epidemiology at MD Anderson. She was later appointed Director of the Center for Public Health and Translational Genomics and Betty B. Marcus Chair in Cancer Prevention. She was named one of Houston's 50 most influential women in 2014. In January 2019, Wu resigned from her posts at MD Anderson following a three-month investigation by the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
and the
NIH The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
of her ties to China. According to
Bloomberg Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
, her departure was part of the Trump administration's push to counter China's influence in American research, and ethnic Chinese scientists, including American citizens like Wu, were targeted for investigation. MD Anderson was a center of the crackdown, with three other top Chinese-American researchers being forced out besides Wu. MD Anderson had formerly encouraged international collaboration and created "sister" relationships with five Chinese cancer centers. In March 2019, Wu was appointed Dean of the School of Public Health of her alma mater
Zhejiang University Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...
.


Contributions

Wu is known for designing
cohort studies A cohort study is a particular form of longitudinal study that samples a cohort (a group of people who share a defining characteristic, typically those who experienced a common event in a selected period, such as birth or graduation), performing ...
for the purpose of discovering the causes of cancer and potential prevention measures. She and her colleagues conducted studies showing that fifteen minutes of moderate exercise per day can increase lifespan by an average of three years, that eating highly cooked meat can contribute to
kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include spr ...
, that high-carbohydrate diets can contribute to
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...
in non-smokers, and that
chronic disease A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three mo ...
s such as
high blood pressure Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...
or
diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
can also contribute to cancer.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Xifeng Living people American women epidemiologists American epidemiologists Year of birth missing (living people) University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston alumni Fudan University alumni Zhejiang University alumni Chinese emigrants to the United States Chinese epidemiologists American women physicians Chinese women physicians Chinese women scientists University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center faculty Zhejiang University faculty People from Jintan District Scientists from Changzhou American women academics 21st-century American women