Li Wu, Ph.D., is a professor and the Endowed Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. As a recognized expert in virology, Wu has been studying virus–host interactions and antiviral immunity for over 30 years. His work contributed to the mechanisms underlying HIV transmission and replication. He has been elected to fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Wu served as a guest editor and reviewer of mBio and several other ASM journals. He is a member of the ASM Education Awards Selection Committee.

Wu obtained his Ph.D. in molecular virology from Shanghai Medical College at Fudan University. After completing his postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH, he launched his faculty career at the Medical College of Wisconsin. During his tenure at the Ohio State University, he received the Pfizer Award for Research Excellence and the Charles Capen Teaching Excellence Award for Graduate Education. Wu’s current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of HIV replication, host interactions and innate immunity. He has published 112 peer-reviewed articles.

Wu devotes significant time and effort to mentoring junior faculty, and to training postdoctoral fellows, research staff and graduate and undergraduate students in his lab, with great emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Wu is most proud of his successful trainees who have received prestigious research awards, NIH fellowships, faculty positions in academia and leading scientist positions in industry.