MCP Graduate Student Shih-Chun Alec Chu becomes Dr. Chu
By Lynn McCain | March 18
Congratulations to Molecular and Cellular Pathology graduate student Shih-Chun Alec Chu for successfully defending his thesis, “Multimodal and Multiomic Integration in Precision Oncology” earning the coveted PhD degree.
Chu came to Ann Arbor in 2016 from Taiwan to join his brother in the United States, following completion of his compulsory military training. He pursued job opportunities for several months before he was invited to join the laboratory of Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan in the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology under the tutelage of Dr. Yasuyuki Hosono. Over the next three years, he gained skills in both in vitro and in vivo experiments using cell line and zebrafish models. The friendships made within this dynamic research environment ignited a passion for research that led to him pursuing a doctorate. He was accepted through the PIBS program and, a year later, selected the Molecular and Cellular Pathology graduate program.
In 2020, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Marcin Cieslik, whom he met while working in the MCTP when Cieslick held a beginner’s coding workshop. This whetted Chu’s interest in bioinformatics and computational research. While working in this laboratory, “I was exposed to a wide variety of fun and interesting sequencing data ranging from ChIP-seqs, single-cell sequencing, to HiC. These experiences culminated in the AML study where I was able to lead one of the largest collaborations I have ever been a part of. I never would have thought that I could take part in science to this scale,” said Chu.
As part of his graduate studies, Chu also spent time with Drs. Rohit Mehra and Russell Ryan. “This instilled in me the appreciation of how much complexity there is in the science, research, and logistics to practice precision medicine,” said Chu of his time with Mehra. Later, “I had the wonderful experience working with Dr. Ryan to investigate the use of HiC data in rearranged lymphomas. Being able to work with specific patient data really showcases both the complexity of patient data as well as the different approaches that one can take when developing their medical story.”
In his research project, Chu “sought to establish a comprehensive view of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) that connects and interprets facets of disease genetics and pathobiology across multiple omic layers.” He created a resource of genomic, methylomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, post-translational, metabolomic, and lipidomic profiles across 173 treatment-naïve AML patient samples representing the most comprehensive multi-omic cancer atlas of AML. Through his work, he was able to classify primary AML patient samples into 8 subtypes with clear genetic underpinnings, striking molecular characteristics, and differentiated profiles of drug response. “Our work establishes a novel resource and multi-omic paradigm for the stratification of AML, offering novel biological insights and a framework for the scientific community to advance research and therapeutic strategies.”
Now that his education is complete, Chu is exploring options in both academia and industry. He is unsure how his future plans will unfold, but he enjoys the Ann Arbor area and the friends he has made here. He is also looking forward to having more time to pursue some of his interests, including baking (he makes a terrific cheesecake souffle) and drawing digital art.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Alec Chu on successfully completing his doctoral program and wishing him well in his future endeavors.
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