Dr. Charleen Chu is Professor and Vice-Chair of Faculty Development & Mentorship in the Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where she holds the A. Julio Martinez Chair in Neuropathology. In addition, Dr. Chu is Director of Ophthalmic Pathology, Co-Director of the Pathologist Investigator Residency-Research Training Program and serves on the Medical Staff of several UPMC hospitals.

Dr. Chu graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with an AB degree in Biology in 1987. She went on to receive a PhD in Pathology-Biochemistry and an MD from Duke University in 1993 and 1994, respectively, in the Medical Scientist Training Program.  Following graduation, Dr. Chu continued training in Anatomic Pathology, Neuropathology, and Ophthalmic Pathology fellowships at Duke University, completing a Neuro-Oncology Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, before joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.

Among other honors, Dr. Chu is the recipient of the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research (Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR, 2009-2013), the Emerging Female Scientist Award Winner of the 14th Annual Carnegie Science Awards (2010), the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) Honor Society (elected 2010), the ASIP Outstanding Investigator Award (2010), the American Association of University Pathologists – The Pluto Society (inducted 2016), and the 2020 ASIP Robbins Distinguished Educator Award. In addition, she is Associate Editor of Autophagy and Academic Editor of PLoS ONE.

Dr. Chu is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American Association of Neuropathologists, the Society for Neuroscience, the American Society for Investigative Pathology, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Eastern Ophthalmic Pathology Society.  In addition, she is currently an Associate Editor of Autophagy, an Academic Editor of PLoS ONE, and serves as Vice-Chair of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Committee for Tenured Faculty Promotions and Appointments.

The focus areas of Dr. Chu’s research are as follows: 1.) genetic and iPSC models of neurodegenerative movement disorders and dementia (PINK1, VCP, MAPT); 2.) mitochondrial quality control, protein homeostasis and calcium dysregulation in synaptic-dendritic neurodegeneration; and 3.) protein-protein interactions, post-translational modifications and organellar transport.

View a list of Dr. Chu’s publications at one of these links:  Google Scholar and ORCID.