Q&A with Jingshing Wu, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery
Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin
Educational/professional background: I received my BA from Harvard University, MD from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and PhD from Yale University. I completed my pediatrics residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital/Washington University in St. Louis and my neonatology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco.
Previous position (title, institution): Fellow, University of California, San Francisco
What is your field of research or area of clinical care, and how did you get into it? I am a neonatologist-scientist who cares for babies in the NICU, including many babies born with congenital diseases. I have always been intrigued by how disruption of biological processes can manifest as congenital diseases. Therefore, I am also a developmental biologist who performs research on cardiac development. I am specifically interested in understanding how environmental factors can impact how the heart develops and can cause congenital heart disease. This research will provide us with information on what measures we can take to prevent the development of congenital heart disease and give us insights on how to treat and cure it.
How would you describe your work to a 5-year-old? I take care of babies who are too young or too sick to leave the hospital. They need a lot of help learning how to eat and breathe before they can go home.
What attracted you to UW–Madison? Madison has always been one of my favorite cities to live in. I especially love outdoor activities, and there are a lot of great options in the greater Madison area.
What is your favorite thing to do in Madison? I will find any reason to be out on the lakes, whether sailing, paddleboarding, or boating.
What’s one thing you hope trainees will learn from you and your work? No matter what, keep asking questions.
Do you feel your work relates to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how. I have always had a deep appreciation for how people in Wisconsin care a lot about engaging with and protecting the environment. Our environment can have a significant impact on our health, and my mission is to deepen our understanding of how these various factors in our surroundings can have a profound effect on our biology and health outcomes. Neonates are a particularly vulnerable population, especially considering how they often absorb significantly more chemicals compared to their body size.
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties? Zebrafish have an incredible regeneration potential, with the ability to lose up to 20% of their hearts and still be able to fully regenerate the entire organ.
What are some of your hobbies and other interests? I love history and learning languages. I like to think that there is a version of me in a parallel universe who is a historian and a linguist.