Xiaokun Shu

Xiaokun Shu is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Pharmacy. His research focuses on designing tools for visualizing and manipulating dynamic cell signaling in vivo, with applications in understanding biological processes and developing therapeutics. He leads the Shu Lab, which integrates physics, chemistry, and engineering to create novel fluorescent reporters and biological tools.

Education: PhD in Biophysics (University of Oregon, 2007), MS in Computational Physics (Fudan University, 2003), BS in Theoretical Physics (Sichuan University, 2000).

Research interests include physical biology, chemical biology, protein engineering, and drug discovery. The lab develops tools like fluorescent reporters for proteases, kinases, and protein interactions, as well as singlet oxygen-based technologies for proximity labeling and cell ablation. These tools are applied to study developmental biology, cancer, and viral infections (e.g., SARS-CoV-2).

Key achievements include the NIH Director's New Innovator Award (2012), tenure at UCSF, and leadership in NIH-funded projects. His work has been published in top journals like Nature, Cell, and Science.

Grants include NIH R01 and U01 grants for studying phase separation, kinase signaling, and protease activity. Collaborations span academic and industry partners, with tools shared via Addgene and other repositories.

The Shu Lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches and fun-driven scientific exploration, inspired by Richard Feynman's philosophy.