YAO WU, PH.D. Research Faculty (Assistant Professor)

Yao Wu, Ph.D., is Children’s National Hospital research faculty (tenure-track assistant professor) whose research interests include studying early brain development using non-invasive, in-vivo imaging techniques. Dr. Wu leverages these sophisticated imaging tools to understand and to measure critical brain maturational changes that occur during the prenatal and postnatal periods to identify the onset and timing of aberrant brain development.

Dr. Wu’s academic training and research experience have provided her with an excellent background in human brain image analyses. As an undergraduate student, she gained knowledge in computer science, image processing and human anatomy. During her Ph.D. studies at Southern

Woman with black hair and a white jacket.

Medical University, Dr. Wu conducted research on medical image analyses, developing automatic methods to segment brain tumors and prostate cancer in medical images, as well as using magnetic resonance (MR) images to predict CT images, which is clinically desired for dose planning in MR‐based radiation therapy and attenuation correction in PET/MR. In the second year of her Ph.D. study, she studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she developed machine-learning based registration methods for infant brain MR images.

Dr. Wu joined the Developing Brain Institute (DBI) at Children’s National for her postdoctoral studies in 2015, which allowed her to extend her research training in the application of state-of-the-art MRI techniques to analyze fetal and neonatal brain structural development in uncomplicated and high-risk pregnancies. After joining DBI, Dr. Wu’s research has focused on analyzing fetal and neonatal brain MR images and correlating image findings early in life with long-term behavioral development in healthy and high-risk populations.

Address: 111 Michigan Ave. NW; Washington, D.C., 20010
Email: [email protected]
Department: MRI Lab

Research, Education and Innovation Week 2024 awards

Wu Y, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Wisner KL, Kapse K, Araki S, Mastracchio CE, Teramoto H, Kasper ML, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Prenatal SSRI exposure is associated with reduced regional fetal brain growth and cortical folding." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024. (Certificate of Excellence awarded to lead author, Yao Wu. Clinical research: Career-Level Faculty Award.)

Recent publications & presentations

2024 | September

Pishghadam M, Ngwa JS, Wu Y, Kapse K, Haizler-Cohen L, Bulas D, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage NN. Single vs. multi-slice assessments of in vivo placental T2∗ measurements. Placenta. 2024 Sep 10;156:92-97. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2024.09.006. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39293186
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39293186

Jacobwitz M, Kapse K, Ngwa J, De Asis-Cruz J, Wu Y, Govindan R, Donofrio MT, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage A. “In-Vivo Placental Volumes and Placental Growth Trajectories are Abnormal in Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease.” International Federation of Placental Associations 2024 Conference. Montreal, Quebec. September 2024. (NIH travel award)

2024 | June

Weiner S, Wu Y, Kapse K, Vozar T, Cheng JJ, Murnick J, Henderson D, Teramoto H, Limperopoulos C, Andescavage N. "Prenatal maternal psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and newborn brain development." JAMA Network Open. 2024 Jun 3;7(6):e2417924. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17924. PMID: 38900424
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38900424

2024 | April

Reze C, Andescavage NN, Basu S, Galla J, Limperopoulos C, Wu Y. "Sex differences in pituitary gland volume in preterm infants." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.

Weiner S, Wu Y, Vozar T, Ngwa JS, Kapse K, Henderson D, Andescavage N, Limperopoulos C. "It's all in the timing: effects of maternal anxiety on neurodevelopment." Children’s National Hospital 14th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2024.

2024 | February

Wu Y, De Asis-Cruz J, Limperopoulos C. "Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy." Mol Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 28. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38418579
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38418579/

2024 | January

Andescavage N, Lu YC, Wu Y, Kapse K, Keller J, Von Kohorn I, Afifi A, Vezina G, Henderson D, Wessel DL, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. "Intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and early newborn brain development." Cereb Cortex. 2024 Jan 31;34(2):bhae041. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae041. PMID: 38385890
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38385890/

2023 | November

Wu Y, Andescavage N, Kapse K, Donofrio MT, Liggett M, Kapse A, Myers M, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Altered in-vivo placental microstructure predicts adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in toddlers with congenital heart disease. Scientific Sessions 2023. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. November 2023. (Award-winning abstract: 2023 Outstanding Research Award in Pediatric Cardiology)

2023 | April

Weiner S, Wu Y, Kapse K, Krishnamurthy D, Limperopoulos C. Elevated maternal anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic alters newborn hippocampal and amygdala development. Children’s National Hospital 13th Annual Research, Education and Innovation Week. Washington, D.C. April 2023.
(Award-winning poster: Clinical research: Graduate student)

2022 | April

Wu Y, Espinosa KM, Barnett SD, Kapse A, Quistorff JL, Lopez C, Andescavage N, Pradhan S, Lu YC, Kapse K, Henderson D, Vezina G, Wessel D, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Association of elevated maternal psychological distress, altered fetal brain, and offspring cognitive and social-emotional outcomes at 18 months. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e229244. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.9244. PMID: 35486403; PMCID: PMC9055453
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35486403/