About PI

Benjamin P. Tu, Ph.D.

E-mail: benjamin.tu@utsouthwestern.edu

Dr. Benjamin P. Tu is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He received his A.B. and A.M. degrees in Chemistry from Harvard College in 1998, where he worked in the laboratory of Dr. James C. Wang. He then received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco in 2003 under the mentorship of Dr. Jonathan S. Weissman. He pursued postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Steven L. McKnight in the Department of Biochemistry at UT Southwestern. He started his own lab at UT Southwestern in 2007. He currently holds the titles of UT Southwestern Presidential Scholar, Martha Steiner Professorship in Medical Research, and W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research. He was appointed as an HHMI Investigator in Nov 2021.

Education

1994-1998 A.B, A.M., Chemistry, Harvard College
1998-2003 Ph.D., Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California-San Francisco

 

Postgraduate Training

2004-2007 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

 

Honors and Awards

2004 AAAS/Science Magazine/GE Healthcare Young Scientist Award Regional Winner – North America
2006 Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in Biomedical Sciences
2009 W. M. Keck Foundation Research Excellence Awardee
2010 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering
2010 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award
2012 Kavli Frontiers of Science Invitee
2014 Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research
2016 HHMI-Simons Foundation Faculty Scholar Award
2017 Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists
2018 Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists
2019 Finalist, Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists
2021 TAMEST Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Science