Simon Chu

Simon Chu, Ph.D., serves as Caspar Wistar Fellow in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program at The Wistar Institute's Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center. His expertise bridges computational engineering and biomedical research to advance cancer genomics.

His educational background includes:

• Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China
• Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut
• Postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School under Dr. Peter J. Park

Chu’s research centers on transposable elements ("jumping genes") and their role in disease pathogenesis. He develops novel computational algorithms to analyze genomic rearrangements, applying machine learning to interpret cancer and infectious disease data. His engineering-driven approach enables unique solutions to biological questions through data integration and predictive modeling, focusing on drug discovery applications.

As part of Wistar’s collaborative computational biology ecosystem, Chu works alongside specialists across subdomains to address fundamental oncogenesis questions. His position within the NCI-designated Cancer Center positions him at the forefront of translational genomics research.