Nan Hu

Hu received a medical degree from the Shanxi Medical College in 1976, followed by a master’s degree in cytogenetics and medical genetics from the Beijing Medical College in 1982.^[1] After completing a doctorate in cancer genetics from the Peking Union Medical College in 1987 under the mentorship of Wu Min, she served as a postdoctoral fellow with Janet Rowley at the University of Chicago from 1987 to 1989.^[1] Hu went on to work at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)—first as a visiting associate from 1990 to 1991, and then as a postdoctoral fellow with Dean Hamer from 1992 to 1994.^[1] Under Hamer, she researched genetic theories of homosexuality.^[2] She joined the NCI cancer prevention fellowship program in 1994, earning an M.P.H. in epidemiology and biostatistics from the George Washington University in the process.^[1]

Hu joined the NCI division of cancer epidemiology and cancer genetics (DCEG) as a staff scientist in 1998.^[1] She works in its metabolic epidemiology branch (MEB).^[1] Hu conducts molecular genetics bench work, epidemiologic field studies, and statistical analysis to research the etiology, prevention, and early detection of upper gastrointestinal cancers.^[1]