The Department of Urology is pleased to announce the appointment of Chen-Han Wilfred Wu, M.D., Ph.D., to the faculty at the rank of associate professor. Wu also serves as associate director for Precision Surgery in the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute.
Wu joins the department from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he served as an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences and the Department of Urology, and as director of the Urogenetics Program, which he founded in fall 2021.
“Wu brings a rare combination of genetics and surgical expertise,” said Matt Might, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute. “His work is exactly the kind of approach that will allow us to bring precision medicine directly into patient care.”
As a urologist and geneticist, Wu received his M.D. from National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan, and completed his urology residency at National Taiwan University Hospital. He later earned his Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Utah and completed clinical genetics, genomics, and clinical biochemical genetics training at Harvard Medical School.
Wu’s research focuses on the genetic causes of urologic and kidney diseases, including kidney stones, congenital kidney and urinary tract conditions, and male infertility. He combines genomic data with clinical insights to uncover new disease mechanisms and bring precision medicine directly to patient care.
“It is a great honor to join UAB,” Wu said. “UAB is well-known for its commitment to innovation and collaboration, and I’m excited to contribute to its mission of advancing research and patient care.”
Wu’s expertise spans both clinical urology and human genetics, positioning him to help bridge precision medicine with surgical care.
“Urology, and all surgical specialties, offer unique opportunities to integrate genomic insights into surgical decision-making ,” Wu said. “My goal is to strengthen UAB’s role as a leader in translating genomic discoveries to the bedside, improving outcomes for patients.”
In his new role, Wu will focus on advancing precision surgery, using genomics, data, and clinical insights to tailor surgical care to each patient.
“My initial focus is on integrating genomics, data science, and clinical insights to tailor surgical decisions to each patient’s biology,” Wu said. “This represents a shift from standardized procedures toward individualized care that optimizes outcomes and minimizes risk.”
Looking ahead, Wu plans to foster interdisciplinary collaborations across the university. “By leveraging UAB’s research strengths, we can accelerate discovery and translation,” Wu said.