Helen

Chu

MD

MPH

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Bio

Dr. Chu’s research is focused on preventive interventions against influenza, RSV and emerging respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2. Dr. Chu conducts clinical-translational research on large-scale community-based studies of respiratory viruses, with a focus on vaccines, antivirals, and diagnostics. She is also interested in defining clinical and immune correlates of protection against respiratory viruses and describing mechanisms of maternal-fetal immunity against respiratory viruses. 

Dr. Chu is a Multiple Principal Investigator of the Seattle Flu Study, which first identified COVID-19 community transmission in the United States, Co-Investigator on the University of Washington Vaccine Trials and Evaluation Unit (VTEU), and Site Principal Investigator for the ACTT-1 trial, which evaluated Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19.  Over the last four months, Dr. Chu’s lab has enrolled a prospective observational cohort of 300 COVID-19 inpatients and outpatients to study immune responses over time.

Her previous work includes describing transmission patterns of RSV, rhinovirus, and human metapneumovirus, the epidemiology and adverse birth outcomes associated with respiratory viral pneumonia in pregnant women, and the kinetics of transplacental RSV antibody transfer and decay in infants. Dr. Chu has also performed clinical trials of vaccine candidates in both domestic and international sites, including Nepal and Bangladesh.

research interests

• Epidemiology of respiratory viruses
• Defining clinical and immune correlates of protection against respiratory viruses
• Molecular characterization of respiratory viruses in diverse settings
• Investigating large-scale community transmission patterns of respiratory viruses
• Describing mechanisms of maternal-fetal immunity against respiratory viruses
• Vaccine and antiviral development

Clinical interests

• General infectious diseases
• Viral respiratory infectious diseases
• Internal Medicine.

Education & training

BA, Cornell University, Oxford University (2001)

MD, Duke University, Durham, NC (2005)

Intern, Department of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA (2005-2006)

Resident, Department of Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA (2006-2008)

Fellow, Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2009-2013)

MPH, Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2012)

honors

Thrasher Early Career Award (2011)

University of Washington Chair of Medicine Scholars Award (2015)

Macrae Foundation Respiratory Virus Symposium Early Investigator Award (2015)

Infectious Disease Society of America Young Investigator Award in Vaccine Development (2016)

American Society of Clinical Investigation Young Physician Scientist Award (2017)

Washingtonian of the Year, Washington State Leadership Board (2020)

Researcher of the Year, Health Care Leadership Awards (2020)

Spotlight Award, Seattle National Organization for Women (2020)

Washingtonian of the Year Award-State of Washington (2021)

Revolutionary BIPOC Women of the University of Washington, Seattle, WA (2021)

Seattle Met Magazine Most Influential Scientists, Seattle, WA (2021)

Pan-American Society of Clinical Virology Ed Nowakowski Senior Memorial Clinical Virology Award (2023)

Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2023)

publications