Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Department of Medicine

Faculty Profiles
[Return To Index page]
photo Wei Du, MD, PhD

Hematology/Oncology

Associate Professor of Medicine

Member, Genome Stability Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Member, Molecular Pharmacology Graduate Program

Member, Molecular Genetics & Developmental Biology Graduate Program

Member, Pittsburgh Center for Interdisciplinary Bone and Mineral Research (PCIBMR)

Member, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute

Member, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center (PLRC)

Associate Member, Pittsburgh Heart, Lung and Blood Vascular Medicine Institute (VMI)

Email: duw@upmc.edu

Phone: 412-623-2211
Contact
Office: Hillman Cancer Center, Research Pavillion
5117 Centre Ave, Suite G5.c
Pittsburgh, PA
 
Phone: 412-623-2211
Fax: 412-623-1010
E-mail: duw@upmc.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Brenda Atoo
Address: Hillman Cancer Center, Researc hPavilion
5117 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Email: atoobo@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-623-1012
Fax: 412-623-1010
Education and Training
Education
PhD, Tohoku University, School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
MD, North China University of Science and Technology, China
Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund (FARF) Fellow, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
NIH/NCI T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, EHCB, CCHMC, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Research Interest
Dr. Du's research is centered on pathophysiology of hematologic diseases such as bone marrow (BM) failure and leukemia. Dr. Du has a broad background in hematopoiesis, stem cell biology & aging, cellular metabolism and tumor microenvironment, with specific training and expertise in DNA damage response/repair, mouse modeling, metabolite profiling, and in vivo disease modeling. She has been investigating the mechanism of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization and BM niche engraftment as well as the factors implicated in cell proliferation and apoptosis. She has identified functional interactions between certain factors implicated in cell polarity, adhesion/migration, stem cell metabolism and aging. These studies led to 49 peer-reviewed scientific papers in high-impact scientific journals, including Blood, JCI, Nat Communications, Leukemia and so on. Her current research interests include: 1) Define the molecular and functional collaboration between a major cell signaling (FA) pathway and immunometabolic regulation in HSCs; 2) Target stem cell-niche interaction for improved therapy for patients with bone marrow failure and leukemia; 3) Study a novel interplay between DDR and immune responses in FA leukemogenesis; 4) Study on the systemic immune effects of persistent DNA damage using mouse and human models of DNA repair deficiency and aging; and 5) Mechanistic and functional elucidation of the role of a novel paracrine Wnt5a-Prox1 signaling axis in regulating HSC regeneration under conditions of injury and aging.

The Du Lab is recruiting motivated postdoc fellows/graduate students. Send your CV to duw@upmc.edu for consideration.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Lin, Q, Chatla, S, Amarachintha, S, Wilson, AF, Atale, N, Gao, ZJ, Joseph, J, Wolff, EV, Du, W. LepR+ niche cell-derived AREG compromises hematopoietic stem cell maintenance under conditions of DNA repair deficiency and aging. Blood; 10.1182/blood.2022018212. 2023.
Lin, Q, Chatlas S, Chowdhury, F, Atale, N, Joseph, J, Du W. Hematopoietic stem cell regeneration through paracrine regulation of the Wnt5a/Prox1 signaling axis. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2022; 132(12): 155914.
Chatla, S, Lin, Q, Chowdhury, FA, Geldenhuys, W, Du, W. Quinacrine-CASIN combination overcomes chemoresistance in human acute lymphoid leukemia. Nature Communications. 2021; 12(1): 6936.
Lin, Q, Ma, Z, Chowdhury, FA, Mazumder, MHH, Du, W. Persistent DNA damage-induced NLRP12 improves hematopoietic stem cell function. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight. 2020; 5(10): e133365.
Li, X, Lin, Q, Chowdhury, F, Mazumder MH, Du, W. FANCD2 and HES1 suppress inflammation-induced PPAR gamma to prevent haematopoietic stem cell exhaustion. British Journal of Hematology. 2021; 192(3): 652-663.
Lin, Q, Ma, Z, Chowdhury, FA, Mazumder, MHH, Du, W. Mesenchymal PGD 2 activates an ILC2-Treg axis to promote proliferation of normal and malignant HSPCs. Leukemia. 2020; 34(11): 3028-3041.
Du, W, Liu, W, Mizukawa B,, Shang, X, Sipple, J, Wunderlich, M, Geiger, H, Davies, S, Mulloy, J, Pang, Q, Zheng, Y. A non-myeloablative conditioning approach for hematopoietic stem cell engraftment in mouse models. Leukemia. 2018; 32(9): 2041-2046.
Du, W, Amarachintha, S, Erden, O, Wilson, A, Pang, Q. The immune receptors Trem1 cooperates with diminished DNA damage response to induce preleukemic stem cell expansion. Leukemia. 2017; 31(2): 423-433.
Li, X, Sipple, J, Pang, Q, Du, W. Salidroside stimulates DNA repair enzyme Parp-1 activity in mouse HSC maintenance. Blood. 2012; 119(18): 4142-51.
Du, W, Rani, R, Sipple, J, Schick,J, Myers, KC, Mehta, P, Andreassen, PR, Davies, SM, Pang, Q. The FA pathway counteracts oxidative stress through selective protection of antioxidant defense gene promoters. Blood. 2012; 119(18): 4142-51.
Notable Achievements
Reviewer, NIH/MCH, HTBT, ZRG/F10C, CMAD, NCATS study sections, 2020-Pre
Hillman Senior Fellow for Innovative Cancer Research, 2021-2022
Reviewer, DOD and CDMRP Blood Cancer Peer review panel, 2020-Pre
NIH/NHLBI R01HL151390 Grant, 2020-2025
NIH/NIGMS P20GM121322 Grant, 2018-2023
American Cancer Society (ACS) Research Grant, 2017-2018
Leukemia Research Foundation New Investigator Award, 2018
NIH T32 Postdoctoral Training Award, 2011-2013
Fanconi Anemia research Fund Research Award, 2008-2010
ASH Abstract Achievement Award, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
Copyright © 2022 Department of Medicine / University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Site maintained by the Department of Medicine domwebsite@PITT.EDU