Simon Chong Chu

Simon Chong Chu, Ph.D. serves as a Caspar Wistar Fellow in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program at The Wistar Institute. A computational biologist specializing in genomic repeats research, Chu develops innovative computational methods to investigate transposable elements and their critical roles in human health and disease.

Chu's research interests focus on genomic repeats—including transposable elements (TEs), short and long tandem repeats, and large satellite repeats—that constitute over half of the human genome. His work integrates systems biology with cutting-edge genomics to uncover how these elements influence development, evolution, and disease processes. He has developed computational tools like xTea, REPdenovo, GINDEL, SpliceJumper, GAPPadder, and TrapHunter that have been widely adopted across diverse research contexts.

Chu's publication record demonstrates expertise in both cancer genomics and computational methodology development. His recent work examines retroelement contributions to birth defects and childhood cancers, the landscape of human SVA retrotransposons, and comprehensive identification of transposable element insertions using multiple sequencing technologies. His research bridges computational innovation with biological discovery, particularly in understanding how genomic repeats evade suppression mechanisms and contribute to disease states.

Chu earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut and completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining The Wistar Institute in 2025, he worked as a principal scientist at ROME Therapeutics, where he contributed to clinical drug discovery.