Nicholas Ching Hai Wu

Nicholas Ching Hai Wu is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Department of Biochemistry and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. His research focuses on viral evolution, antibody specificity prediction, and vaccine design optimization.

• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (2015)
• Postdoc, The Scripps Research Institute (2020)

Wu's work primarily addresses Influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2, utilizing molecular virology, protein biochemistry, structural biology (x-ray crystallography, cryo-EM), and machine learning. His lab investigates evolutionary constraints of viral proteins, cross-reactive antibody responses, and next-generation vaccine platforms.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to neuraminidase antibody discovery, epistasis in antibody fitness, and deep mutational scanning of viral proteins. Wu's team has developed methods for binding affinity measurements using BLI and high-throughput antibody screening via oPool+ display.

• Scientific Awards: Vallee Scholar Award (2024), Searle Scholar Award (2022), NIH Director's New Innovator Award (2021), among 10+ distinctions
• Grants: NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2019), Croucher Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2017)