Colin G. Wu

Dr. Colin G. Wu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Oakland University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. His research integrates biochemistry, molecular biophysics, and cell biology to study DNA repair mechanisms and their impact on cardiovascular health, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. He directs the Wu Lab, which focuses on protein-DNA interactions and oxidative damage.

Research interests include:

• Mechanisms of DNA repair protein recognition and function
• Cardiovascular implications of DNA damage
• Tau protein aggregation in Alzheimer's disease
• Development of therapeutic small molecules
• High-school science outreach programs for genetic testing

Awards and grants include:

• NSF CAREER Award (2021)
• NIH R21 Grant (2024)
• American Heart Association AIREA Grant (2019, 2017)
• Outstanding Junior Investigator Award (2022)
• Multiple Michigan Space Grant Consortium Seed Grants

He mentors over 25 graduate/undergraduate researchers and leads NIH/NSF-funded outreach initiatives bringing portable DNA testing to local high schools. His lab utilizes advanced instrumentation including BioTek Cytation readers and JASCO spectropolarimeters.