Joseph Wu, Trinity ‘15, is one of 55 international recipients of the 2016 Gates-Cambridge Scholarship, the University announced Monday.
The Gates-Cambridge Scholarship allows recipients to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge and covers tuition and living expenses. Scholars are selected based on outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential and a commitment to improving the lives of others. This year, 3,730 applicants competed for 90 scholarships, 35 of which were awarded to students in the United States and 55 of which were given to students studying outside the U.S.
Wu graduated magna cum laude from Duke last year and received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy with minors in biology and chemistry.
He said he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in history and the philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge beginning this Fall.
“I’m interested in the philosophy of biology and bioethics. My proposed research will examine the nature of causation and explanation in cancer biology, and attempt to develop a theory of explanation appropriate for cancer science,” Wu said in a Duke Today release. “I’m also interested in researching theories of well-being and the ethics of emerging medical technologies.”
At Duke, Wu worked with Jennifer Zhang, associate professor in dermatology, to conduct research using mouse models to uncover the mechanisms controlling the cell cycle. He also completed a thesis titled “Pluralism and the Levels of Selection in Cancer.”
“Joseph Wu is the kind of student faculty fight each other to teach. I was lucky to work with him on his honors thesis here at Duke. Some day I’ll be able to say I knew him when,” said Alex Rosenberg, R. Taylor Cole professor of philosophy, in the release.
According to the release, Wu’s long-term goals include becoming an academic oncologist conducting research in the medical humanities.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.