Exclusive | ‘No need to explain’: leading mRNA vaccine scientist Hu Haitao leaves US for China
China is catching up fast in mRNA-related fundamental research and technological development, Hu says
Even just one year ago, people close to him would have thought it “unbelievable” that he might give up an academic career established over nearly two decades in the United States, Hu told the South China Morning Post.
But academic prospects in the US had become more “uncertain and unpredictable” in the past year and “you don’t have to explain too much because people would say it’s a good choice”, he said.
The former associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch said his research, including the securing of funding, was not directly affected by politics.
While Hu’s own research had not been affected directly, the climate of the past year had added a sense of “unpredictability and uncertainty”, he said.
Much of the turbulence arose from US President Donald Trump’s anti-science policies, including the cancellation in August of US$500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research and development.
The emerging biotechnology entered the public spotlight when its use was pioneered in the development of Covid-19 vaccines – work that was recognised in 2023 when the Nobel Prize was awarded jointly to Hu’s mentor Weissman and biochemist Katalin Kariko.
Hu, 46, obtained his PhD under Weissman’s supervision at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, arriving in the US from China in 2004 and graduating in 2010.
After spending several years at a research institute in Maryland, Hu joined the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2015, where he was promoted to associate professor with tenure in the department of microbiology and immunology in 2022.
Most of his research has centred on virology and immunology – including the development of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics – and the mechanisms of host-virus interactions and HIV cures.
Hu has published more than 50 academic papers in high-impact journals and holds several patents. He has served on special review panels for many research programmes, including the Integrated Preclinical/Clinical Aids Vaccine Development Programme funded by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024.
He is also a member of the American Society for Virology, the American Association of Immunologists – which awarded him its Careers in Immunology Fellowship prize – and the Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America.
Hu was born in Anhui province, central China, and obtained his bachelor’s degree in medicine from North China University of Science and Technology in 2001. He gained his master’s through a joint programme between Zhejiang University school of medicine and Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences.
Hu said he had been considering whether to accept the full-time position at the Institute of Microbiology and move his entire family back to China since last year.
As one of the largest microbiological research institutions in China, the world-leading platform aligned very well with his long-term academic goals, which was a major consideration, according to Hu.
Its many advantages included “the best facilities and a large team of diligent PhD and postdoctoral students”, he said.
“It is also located in a fabulous academic ecosystem where many of China’s prestigious national research bodies are based, such as the CAS Institute of Biophysics and the Institute of Zoology.”
In his new role, Hu said he planned to lead a team of researchers focusing on developing vaccines and novel therapeutic solutions for major viral infectious diseases affecting human health, particularly HIV.
While China was not the birthplace of mRNA-related fundamental research and technological development, the country was “catching up so fast” and investing generously in this area, Hu noted.
He added that what consolidated his determination was his family’s attitude. His parents had been urging him to return to China and when the opportunity arose at the Institute of Microbiology, his wife supported his decision to relocate to Beijing.