Congqing Wu, PhD
Connect
cwu3@uky.eduPositions
- Assistant Professor, Surgery
College Unit(s)
Other Affiliation(s)
- Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics - Joint Faculty
- CVRC - Core Faculty
Biography and Education
Biography
My goal is to explore how the immune system defends鈥攁nd sometimes harms鈥攖he body.
Education
PhD in Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky
Research
My lab is at the intersection of innate immunity and vascular diseases, with a focus on thrombosis (excessive blood clotting). We investigate how inflammasome-activated pyroptosis releases tissue factor positive microvesicles that trigger coagulation and drive pathology in infection and sterile inflammation using in vivo models. Our recent work uncovered NINJ1, a key mediator of plasma membrane rupture, as a potential target to block inflammation and thrombosis.
We combine molecular biology, in vivo models, and data science approaches to study the role of immune response and clotting in diseases with vascular pathology like sepsis, aortic dissection, and fibrosis.
We are seeking a motivated, independent postdoctoral scholar.
Selected Publications
Mechanosensitive PPAP2B Regulates Endothelial Responses to Atherorelevant Hemodynamic Forces. Wu C, Huang RT, Kuo CH, Kumar S, Kim CW, Lin YC, Chen YJ, Birukova A, Birukov KG, Dulin NO, Civelek M, Lusis AJ, Loyer X, Tedgui A, Dai G, Jo H, Fang Y. Circ Res. 2015 Jul 31;117(4):e41-e53. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.306457. Epub 2015 Jun 1.
Angiotensinogen Exerts Effects Independent of Angiotensin II. Lu H, Wu C, Howatt DA, Balakrishnan A, Moorleghen JJ, Chen X, Zhao M, Graham MJ, Mullick AE, Crooke RM, Feldman DL, Cassis LA, Vander Kooi CW, Daugherty A. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2016 Feb;36(2):256-65. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.115.306740. Epub 2015 Dec 17. Updates on Approaches for Studying Atherosclerosis. Wu C, Daugherty A, Lu HS. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2019 Apr;39(4):e108-e117. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.119.312001.
Inflammasome Activation Triggers Blood Clotting and Host Death through Pyroptosis. Wu C, Lu W, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Shi X, Hisada Y, Grover SP, Zhang X, Li L, Xiang B, Shi J, Li XA, Daugherty A, Smyth SS, Kirchhofer D, Shiroishi T, Shao F, Mackman N, Wei Y, Li Z. Immunity. 2019 Jun 18;50(6):1401-1411.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.04.003. Epub 2019 May 7.
Two Amino Acids Proximate to the Renin Cleavage Site of Human Angiotensinogen Do Not Affect Blood Pressure and Atherosclerosis in Mice-Brief Report. Wu CH, Wu C, Howatt DA, Moorleghen JJ, Cassis LA, Daugherty A, Lu HS. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2020 Sep;40(9):2108-2113. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.314048. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Effects of Renin-Angiotensin Inhibition on ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) and TMPRSS2 (Transmembrane Protease Serine 2) Expression: Insights Into COVID-19. Wu C, Ye D, Mullick AE, Li Z, Danser AHJ, Daugherty A, Lu HS. Hypertension. 2020 Oct;76(4):e29-e30. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15782. Epub 2020 Jul 14.
Predicting Gene Expression From Computed Tomography Angiography. Wu C, Ley K. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2021 May 5;41(5):1751-1752. doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.121.316195. Epub 2021 Apr 8.
Inhibiting NINJ1-dependent plasma membrane rupture protects against inflammasome-induced blood coagulation and inflammation. Cui J, Li H, Ye D, Zhang G, Zhang Y, Yang L, Sim M, Wood JP, Wei Y, Li Y, Wu C. eLife. 2025 12:RP91329.