He was trained as an ophthalmologist in China and completed his Ph.D. studies at Cornell University Medical College and postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School. He has previously held positions at Beijing Friendship Hospital as a resident of ophthalmology and at Merck Research Laboratory as a senior research biologist for neurodegeneration. Dr. Hu’s laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms responsible for neuronal degeneration after CNS injury or diseases with the goal of building on this understanding to develop effective strategies to promote neuroprotection and functional recovery.