Cheng-Chia Wu

I am a physician scientist with dual M.D./Ph.D. degrees and is currently a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) at Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) with academic appointments in the Department of Internal Medicine, at Virginia Tech School of Medicine (VTSOM) and Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics (BEAM). My clinical focus is on pediatric cancers, central nervous system (CNS) cancers, and sarcomas. I am the executive lead for the Advanced Technology and Drug Delivery Initiative (ADTI) laboratories dedicated to pediatric brain tumors.

Our research laboratories are located in the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washinton D.C. and in the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute in Roanoke VA. I am currently focused on pediatric CNS malignancy research with an emphasis on diffuse midline glioma/diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and high-grade glioma. I am interested in using new technologies to improve drug delivery and studying the role in which the blood brain barrier plays. I am examining the use of non-invasive focused ultrasound (FUS)-mediated blood brain barrier-opening to enhance drug delivery, in combination with radiation, to explore new treatment paradigms including: utilizing next generation sequencing to identify effective drug combinations and immunotherapy.

As a pediatric radiation oncologist, my clinical research interest is to improve the treatment workflow for children requiring radiation. This includes: improving patient safety, managing the anxiety of children and their parents, and expanding medical education in undeserved population. My hope is that these projects will lay the groundwork for novel treatment strategies in children.