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Sound files ; digital, mp3 file. |
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Transcript : (169 leaves, bound) ; 29 cm. |
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text txt |
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spoken word spw |
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unmediated n |
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audio s |
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Chemical Heritage Foundation Oral history transcript ; 0402.
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| Note |
This oral history is part of a series supported by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts based on the Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences. This collection is an important resource for the history of biomedicine, recording the life and careers of young, distinguished biomedical scientists and of Pew Biomedical Scholar Advisory Committee members. |
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Interview conducted by Karen A. Frenkel at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York on 30 and 31 January 2008. (With Subsequent Corrections and Additions) |
| Summary |
Hao Wu's oral history begins with a discussion of her childhood in China, during which her family was separated and forced to relocate to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. Despite the difficulties associated with such turmoil, including the death of her father, Wu excelled in school. She consistently ranked highest in her class, and on the National College Entrance Exam she ranked fifth of all test-takers in the city of Beijing. Wu enrolled in Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, a highly selective, combined eight year bachelor's and medical degree program founded by the Rockefeller Foundation. While there she took courses taught in English and a semester of Immunology research which piqued her interest in laboratory work, leading her away from the clinical world of medicine. At an international biochemistry meeting, Wu discovered the structural biology research of Michael Rossmann, research that would ultimately bring her to the United States. After some difficulty obtaining her visa, Wu began the PhD program at Purdue University joining Rossmann's laboratory. Her research on canine parvovirus crystals brought her to the University of Kentucky and also to Norwich, England briefly. Additionally Wu worked on a Fortran computational modeling program during her graduate studies. While at Purdue, Wu met a colleague she later married, though she quickly discovered that he did not share her views about science or appreciate the difficulty of balancing family life and research. Wu chose her postdoctoral position at Columbia University with Wayne A. Hendrickson because her partner's job was in Connecticut. Wu's research on CD4 and HCG led to multiple publications including a 1997 Nature paper. Although Wu considered becoming a Research Assistant instead of a PI, after she solved the structure of CD4 she decided to test the job market and ultimately joined the faculty at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Staying in New York City did not disrupt her children's education and allowed Wu to take advantage of the large structural biology community within the city. Shortly after beginning at Cornell, Wu received the Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences Award. This fellowship helped her solve structures and perform the initial work necessary in order to receive a National Institutes of Health grant. During the oral history, Wu discussed her research group's work on TRAF and AIF and the difficulties associated with the funding of crystallographic research. She also touched on the current struggle between basic and translational science; competition from other laboratories; the complexities of balancing family and work; and the difficulties women in science face. At many points throughout the interview Wu returned the discussion to China and its ascendancy with respect to science, her own educational experiences there, and the teaching she now does in China. |
| Cite As |
Interview conducted by Karen A. Frenkel at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York on 30 and 31 January 2008. (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript 0402). |
| Note |
Sound files Science History Institute. |
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Transcript Science History Institute. |
| Access Restrictions |
Semi-restricted access (May view the work. Permission required to quote, cite, or reproduce) |
| Biography |
Hao Wu grew up in China, during which time her family was separated and forced to relocate to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. Despite this turmoil, Wu excelled in school. She enrolled in Peking Union Medical College in Beijing, a highly selective, combined eight year bachelor's and medical degree program founded by the Rockefeller Foundation, where she took courses taught in English and a semester of immunology research which piqued her interest in laboratory work. At an international biochemistry meeting, Wu discovered the structural biology research of Michael Rossmann, and after some difficulty obtaining her visa, Wu began the PhD program at Purdue University joining Rossmann's laboratory. She ultimately joined the faculty at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Shortly after beginning at Cornell, Wu received the Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences Award. This fellowship helped her solve structures and perform the initial work necessary in order to receive a National Institutes of Health grant. During the oral history, Wu discussed her research group's work on TRAF and AIF and the difficulties associated with the funding of crystallographic research. She also touched on the current struggle between basic and translational science; competition from other laboratories; the complexities of balancing family and work; and the difficulties women in science face. |
| Indexes |
Transcript has been indexed. |
| Note |
Part or all of this item has been digitized by Science History Institute. |
| Subject(s) |
Wu, Hao, Dr., interviewee.
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Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan.
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Cornell University. Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College.
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Medical scientists -- Biography.
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Medical scientists -- Interviews.
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Medicine -- Research.
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Immunology -- Research.
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Crystallography.
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| Genre |
Oral histories. lcgft
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Interviews. aat
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| Subject(s) |
Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences -- History.
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| Alternate Author |
Frenkel, Karen A., interviewer.
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Chemical Heritage Foundation.
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Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences.
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Pew Charitable Trusts.
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| Alternate Title |
Hao Wu oral history interview. |
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Wu oral history interview. |
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