Exclusive | China-born neuroscientist Jane Wu lost her US lab. Then she lost her life
The death of Wu, a prominent researcher at an Illinois university, has put attention again on efforts to pursue researchers suspected of having undisclosed ties to Beijing
For molecular biologist and cancer researcher Bing Ren, Jane Wu was a “true role model”.
She was warm, caring and inspiring – and guided Ren’s decision to make the area of research his life’s work.
“Dr Wu taught me basic molecular biology skills, and showed me how discoveries were made at the bench,” said Ren, who first met Wu in 1993 and worked under her direct supervision at Harvard University.
“Dr Wu was the one that opened my eyes to the wonderful world of molecular biology, and convinced me to pursue a career in this field,” said the professor in cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
Wu was a prominent neuroscientist at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and left her mark on many other researchers in both the United States and China before taking her life in July.
The 60-year-old former Dr Charles L. Mix Research Professor at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine took her own life in her Chicago home on July 10, according to Cook County records.
In addition to the personal tragedy for Wu’s family and friends, the scientist’s death drew attention yet again to much criticised efforts to pursue researchers suspected of having undisclosed ties to Beijing.
