Catherine Wu

Catherine J. Wu, MD, is a physician-scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

At Dana-Farber, she has initiated an integrated program of research and clinical activities which focuses on dissecting the underlying mechanisms of pathobiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia as a means to generate more effective therapies, including immune-based treatments, for this common adult leukemia. She has been principal investigator of several center-initiated clinical trials, including trials of the NeoVax personalized antigen vaccine.

A major priority of Dr. Wu's studies is the identification of tumor-specific antigens that would allow effective tumor targeting without collateral toxicity. Wu’s research has laid the scientific foundation for the development of cancer vaccines tailored to the genetic makeup of an individual’s tumor. In 2023, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which selects Nobel laureates in chemistry and physics, awarded Wu its Sjöberg Prize in honor of “decisive contributions” to cancer research.

Dr. Wu earned her medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed her clinical training in Internal Medicine and Hematology-Oncology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber.