Charles Chiu

Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Co-Director of the UCSF Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. His research focuses on developing and clinically validating metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and host response profiling for diagnosing infections, investigating outbreaks, and discovering pathogens. Chiu’s work has led to FDA Breakthrough Device designation for mNGS assays targeting cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and respiratory samples. He leverages machine learning to create host response models for differential diagnosis of acute infections like meningitis/encephalitis and chronic conditions such as Lyme disease and long COVID. His research is funded by NIH, DoD, industry partners, and foundations.

• Education: MD, UCLA School of Medicine (2001)

His research interests span infectious diseases, microbiology, and translational diagnostics. Key achievements include pioneering clinical mNGS applications, identifying novel pathogens, and advancing diagnostic algorithms for CNS infections. Chiu has authored over 200 publications and holds multiple patents, with industry collaborations through roles at Delve Bio, Biomeme, and others.

His articles highlight mNGS advancements, Lyme disease classification, and viral genomic diversity. Awards include the 2025 Luminary Award for precision medicine and the 2024 Ed Nowakowski Clinical Virology Award.

Chiu leads the UCSF Center for Next-Gen Precision Diagnostics and the Chiu Laboratory, fostering interdisciplinary teams to translate genomic and computational tools into clinical practice. His work bridges academic research, industry innovation, and global health challenges like pandemic response and chronic infection management.