Chia George Hsu

Chia George Hsu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), within the College for Health, Community and Policy (HCAP). His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of innate immunity, inflammation, and immunometabolism, particularly in the context of injury and disease.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Applied Physiology, Georgia Institute of Technology
• M.S. in Exercise Science, National Taiwan Sports University
• B.S. in Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University

His research interests include ferroptosis, immunometabolism, neuroinflammation, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. He investigates how immune cells, particularly macrophages, regulate inflammation through metabolic reprogramming and cell death pathways. His lab uses integrative approaches from cellular to human levels to study immune fitness and its impact on performance and recovery.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in understanding the regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by metabolites like 4-hydroxynonenal and proteins like Pnpt1, as well as the role of PDE10A in neuroinflammation and lung injury. His work spans immunology, neuroscience, and metabolism, with implications for spinal cord injury, long COVID, and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards explicitly listed in the provided texts.

Dr. Hsu mentors several students, including Jinmin Zhang, Elias Muguerza, Camry Gonzalez, and Xavier Chavarria, and offers research opportunities for undergraduates and graduate students through independent study and thesis projects. His lab, the Immune Fitness Lab, investigates biomarkers of immune function related to exercise and injury, aiming to develop predictive panels and therapeutic strategies. Research is supported by methodologies such as RNA-Seq, proteomics, lipidomics, and transgenic mouse models.