A widely recognized expert on chromatin biology and biochemistry, Carl Wu’s research is dedicated to the understanding of chromatin, which has a key role in regulating essentially all chromosome activities and is causally linked in gene misregulation in many diseases, including cancer. Wu’s research over the years has helped elevate chromatin regulation to one of the most prominent areas of molecular biology, with broad implications in physiology and medicine.

Wu’s lab unites classical biochemistry with contemporary genomics, proteomics, and in vivo and in vitro imaging of single biomolecules to characterize the molecular behaviors of chromatin machineries. Wu aims to learn more about the complex systems of chromatin dysfunction in cancer and other human diseases, highlighting key enzymatic pathways for potential pharmaceutical intervention. He is currently focused on studying the biochemistry and function of the conserved histone variant H2A.Z, which plays a crucial role during transcription, with the hope of acquiring insights on promoter and enhancer function in health and disease.

Wu joined Johns Hopkins University as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in 2016 from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus.