Professor Hu Ye leaves the United States and returns to China – a leader in investigation on fast tuberculosis diagnosis

chiny24.com 1 month ago

Back to Home University

After 22 years of technological work in the United States, Hu Ye (also known as Tony Hu), a prominent scientist in the field of nanomedicine and diagnostics, returned to China to take the position of the first dean of the recently formed School of Biomedical Engineering at Tsinghua University in Beijing. At the same time, he was appointed associate prof. Zhao-Yi – 1 of the highest academic distinctions at the university.

Hu graduated from Lanzhou University in 1999, after which he obtained a master's degree in Tsinghua and then a PhD in biomedical engineering from Texas University in Austin (2009). From 2011 to 2019 he worked at renowned institutes including the Houston Methodist investigation Institute and Weill Cornell Medical College. As of 2019, he was prof. of Weatherhead at Tulane University Medical Faculty in fresh Orleans.

Resigning millions of dollars of grants

Before returning to China, Hu resigned from over US$8.3 million grants from the American Institute of wellness (NIH), including:

$3.7 million for fast detection of tuberculosis and HIV in children,
$3.1 million – to make blood-derived cancer detection methods,
$1.5 million – for the acquisition of advanced diagnostic equipment.

In conversation with South China Morning Post Hu explained that the return decision was not the consequence of cuts in funding: “NIH full supported my investigation group without any restrictions. All backing was transferred to another professors on Tulane to proceed the projects."

At the same time, in an open letter dated 7 April 2025, published on the Tulane and LinkedIn website, he warned against the effects of the proposed cuts in the national budget, which could reduce the reimbursement of indirect costs from NIH grants from 53% to 15%. "Now is the time to rise your voice... if we miss it, possibly there will be no second chance," he wrote.

Scientific breakthroughs

Hu Ye has been focusing for years on fast and cheaper diagnosis of infectious diseases, especially tuberculosis and HIV. His motivation was individual contact with HIV infected children while travelling to Italy after his doctorate.

His most crucial accomplishment is the method of detection of tuberculosis in 2.5 hours utilizing nanoparticles and mass spectrometry – compared to conventional tests lasting 4–6 weeks. The cost of 1 test is only $3.

In 2024 a prestigious magazine Nature in the article ‘Tracking down tuberculosis’ listed 7 promising diagnostic technologies, 3 of which came from the Hu laboratory.

In January 2021, his squad besides developed a fast test on COVID-19 based on saliva, yielding a consequence in 15 minutes utilizing a smartphone – more delicate than nasopharyngeal swab tests.

Recognition and continuation of the mission in China

In June 2025, Hu received the Academy Award 2025 from the American Association for Diagnostics and laboratory medicine – a discrimination for global experts in clinical chemistry.

Although his laboratory in the United States received long-term support from NIH, Department of Defense, Gates Foundation and WHO, the decision to return to China involves the desire to build a fresh world-class biomedical engineering school – with emphasis on the applicable application of diagnostic technologies in developing countries.

According to WHO data, 10.8 million people a year make tuberculosis and 1.25 million die – mainly due to late diagnosis. Hu stresses that "without adequate funding, solutions may never scope those who request them most".

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