Joanna ChiuView profile
Professor
Joanna Chiu is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, affiliated with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the UC Davis Genome Center. She holds a B.A. in Biology and Music from Mount Holyoke College and a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from New York University. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying animal behavior, circadian rhythms, seasonal biology, and insect genomics, with applications in pest management and agricultural science. Key research interests include understanding how circadian clocks integrate environmental cues like temperature and light to regulate physiology and behavior, particularly in insects. Her work involves molecular genetics, transcriptomics, and genomic tools to study pest species such as Drosophila suzukii and Tuta absoluta, addressing challenges like pesticide resistance and invasive species control. She has developed diagnostic tools (e.g., RPA-Cas12a assays) and software (e.g., CRUMB app) for analyzing insect behavior and genetics. Recent publications highlight studies on circadian temperature compensation, seasonal adaptation in insects, and the molecular basis of pest resistance. Her lab’s collaborations span entomology, genomics, and computational biology, with implications for sustainable agriculture and chronobiology. Grants and funding support her work on pest genomics, circadian mechanisms, and translational applications in pest control. Joanna Chiu mentors students and researchers in entomology, biochemistry, and genetics through UC Davis graduate groups (ENT, BMCDB, IGG, ABGG). Her lab actively contributes to genome assembly projects for agricultural pests and explores novel strategies for integrated pest management using molecular and genetic approaches.










