Joseph Wu is a professor in the School of Public Health at The University of Hong Kong. He specializes in mathematical modelling and data science of communicable diseases and cancer. His research aims are: (i) to develop useful analytics and strategies for disease control and prevention; and (ii) to translate his research findings into public health policy and practice for improving global health. He is a Fellow of the UK’s Faculty of Public Health, a member of the WHO Advisory Committee on Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research (IVIR-AC), and a member of the Technical Working Group for the WHO Public Health Research Agenda for Influenza.

In his research on communicable diseases, Prof Wu focuses on preparedness and response against high-threat communicable diseases including pandemic influenza, MERS, Ebola, yellow fever, hand-foot-and-mouth diseases, etc. During the 2009 influenza pandemic, his research was instrumental in the Hong Kong government’s pandemic risk assessment and implementation of mitigation measures including school closure and vaccination. During the 2014 MERS outbreak in Seoul, his research provided real-time characterization of the epidemiology of MERS. During the 2015-16 yellow fever outbreak in Angola, his research provided the evidence base for the WHO to implement dose-fractionation of yellow fever vaccines in its emergency vaccination campaign in Angola. In 2018, his research provided the health economic evaluation for the Hong Kong government to implement routine 9-valet HPV vaccination for schoolgirls.

In his research on cancer, Prof Wu focuses on developing innovative methods for cancer prevention. He is currently working on (i) optimizing the use of HPV testing in cervical cancer screening; (ii) characterizing the epidemiology of colorectal cancer using data from routine fecal immunochemical testing programs; and (iii) evaluating the cost-effectiveness of risk-based mammography screening for breast cancer prevention.

Prof Wu obtained a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT in 1999 and a PhD in Operations Research from MIT in 2003.