Department of Public Health and Exercise Science

Dr. Wu received an MD degree in Preventive Medicine and a Master of Medicine degree in Epidemiology from Southeast University in China and obtained her PhD in Epidemiology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Epidemiology Division at Vanderbilt University. Wu joined the Public Health and Exercise Science faculty in 2022 and is an associate professor in the Public Health program. She teaches Epidemiology, Introduction to Public Health, and Biostatistics. Her research focuses on lifestyle factors, biomarkers, and cancer as well as other diseases in populations. Wu was a principal investigator for multiple epidemiologic projects before joining App State. She has published over 70 articles, usually as the first and/or corresponding author. She has been serving as a DoD and NIH grant panel reviewer, a peer reviewer for multiple journals/conferences, and a member of multiple professional associations.

Education

• Research Fellow, cancer and other chronic disease epidemiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN  

• Postdoc, chronic disease epidemiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Ph.D., Epidemiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Master of Medicine, Epidemiology, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

• M.D., Preventive Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China                                                       

Current Teaching

• Princ of Epidemiology (PH 4200)
• Biostatistics (PH 3300)
• Introduction to Public Health (PH 2000)

Professional Affiliations

• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Society for Epidemiologic Research
• American Association for Cancer Research 
• American Heart Association
• American Diabetes Association
• American Thoracic Society
• North Carolina Public Health Association

Research Interests

• Epidemiology in the evaluation of lifestyle (especially diet, physical activity, smoking, and obesity), biomarkers, and other factors for cancer and other diseases in populations. 
• Evidence-based medicine especially meta-analysis

Research Experience

• Research project oversight, project implementation, subject recruitment, questionnaire development, IRB submissions, biological sample collection and storage, biomarker measurement, physical exam and assessment (e.g., DEXA scan, and cardiovascular measurement), data collection, database management, power and data analysis for different study designs, and manuscript development and reporting.
• Epidemiology study design (e.g., clinical trial, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and ecological designs) and subject recruitment strategy development

Grant Awards

Ongoing Research Projects

American Cancer Society [RSG-22-977922-01-HOPS]     Shenghui Wu (PI)
02/23-01/27     Lifestyle and Biomarker Predictors of Bladder Cancer
Survivorship     Role: Principal Investigator To examine the effects of lifestyle
factors, biomarkers on bladder cancer survivorship.
Total: $792,000

Appalachian State University Research Council Grant     Shenghui Wu (PI)
05/23-12/24     Food Environment Index and Cancer Incidence in the United
States     Role: Principal investigator     To identify the association between
food environment index and cancer incidence in the United States.
Total: $4,965

Appalachian State University Research Council Grant   Melinda Bogardus (PI)
02/23-05/24     Testing the feasibility and impact of a whole-food plant-based
diet intervention on college students’ physical and mental health
Role: Co-Principal investigator     To determine if a 21-day whole-food plant-
based (WFPB) diet compared with a control condition leads to
improvements in diet quality and mental and physical health measures in
college students.
Total: $5,000

Taste of Lifestyle Medicine Grant     Melinda Bogardus (PI)
02/23-05/24     Testing the feasibility and impact of a whole-food plant-based
diet intervention on college students’ physical and mental health
Role: Co-Principal investigator      To determine if a 21-day whole-food plant-
based (WFPB) diet compared with a control condition leads to
improvements in diet quality and mental and physical health measures
in college students.
Total: $250

Selected Publications

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1r7zyVOyT8xkV/bibliography/public/)

• 1. Prasad A, Choh A, Gonzalez N, Garcia M, Lee M, Watt G, Vasquez L, Laing S, Wu SH, McCormick J, Fisher-Hoch S. A High Burden of Diabetes and Ankle Brachial Index Abnormalities Exists in Mexican Americans in South Texas. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2024, 38: 102604.
• 2. Wu SH*, Liu Y, Williams M, Aguilar C, Mesa R, Ramirez A, Tomlinson G. Childhood Cancer Survival in the Highly Vulnerable Population of South Texas, PLOSOne. 2023. 18 (4): e0278354. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 3. Wu SH*, Chalela P, Ramirez A. Changes in Knowledge and Awareness for a Community-based Cancer Screening Educational Program. Arch Public Health. 2023 Jul 12;81(1):130. doi: 10.1186/s13690-023-01144-w.*Corresponding and senior author.
• 4. Wu SH*, Thompson M, Hege A, Christiana R, Tyson J. Physical Activity is Inversely Associated with Overall Cancer Risk Among College Students in the United States: Results from the National College Health Assessment. PLOSOne. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 5. Garg H, Dursun F, Alsayegh F, Wang H, Wu SH, Liss MA, Kaushik D, Svatek RS, Mansour AM. Revisiting current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) high-risk prostate cancer stratification: a National Cancer Database analysis. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2023 Jan 14. doi: 10.1038/s41391-022-00621-7.
• 6. Alanna M. Chamberlain, Rhonda M. Cooper-DeHoff, Valy Fontil, Ester Kim Nilles,Kathryn M. Shaw, Myra Smith, Feng Lin, Eric Vittinghoff; Carlos Maeztu; Jonathan Todd; Thomas Carton; Emily C. O'Brien; Madelaine Faulkner Modrow; Gregory Wozniak; Michael Rakotz; Eduardo Sanchez; Steven M. Smith; Tamar S. Polonsky; Faraz S. Ahmad; Mei Liu; James C. McClay; Jeffrey J. VanWormer, MS; Bradley W. Taylor; Elizabeth A. Chrischilles; Wu SH; Anthony J. Viera, Daniel E. Ford; Wenke Hwang, Kirk U. Knowlton, Mark J. Pletcher. Disruption in blood pressure control with the COVID-19 pandemic: A study of 24 US health systems in the PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2023
• 7. Jiang K, Zhang Z, Fullington LA, Huang T, Kaliszewski C, Wei J, Zhao L, Huang S, Ellithorpe A, Wu SH, Jiang X, Wang L. Dietary Patterns and Obesity in Chinese Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2022 Nov; 14 (4911).
• 8. Liao J, Chen Y, Cai L, Wang K, Wu SH, Wu L, Song B, Hu M, Hou X. Baduanjin's Impact on Quality of Life and Sleep Quality in Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Aromatase Inhibitors Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Oncology. 2022; 12:807531.
• 9. Dursun F, Elshabrawy A, Wang H, Wu SH, Liss MA, Kaushik D, Grosser D, Svatek RS, Mansour AM. Histological variants of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: Survival outcomes of radical cystectomy vs. bladder preservation therapy. Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations. 2022 Jun;40(6):275.e1-275.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.02.004.. PubMed PMID: 35351370.
• 10. Cooper-DeHoff RM, Fontil V, Carton T, Chamberlain AM, Todd J, O'Brien EC, Shaw KM, Smith M, Choi S, Nilles EK, Ford D, Tecson KM, Dennar PE, Ahmad F, Wu SH, McClay JC, Azar K, Singh R, Faulkner Modrow M, Shay CM, Rakotz M, Wozniak G, Pletcher MJ. Tracking Blood Pressure Control Performance and Process Metrics in 25 US Health Systems: The PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Nov 2;10(21):e022224. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.022224. Epub 2021 Oct 6. PubMed PMID: 34612048.
• 11. Klein G, Wang H, Elshabrawy A, Nashawi M, Gourley E, Liss M, Kaushik D, Wu SH, Rodriguez R, Mansour A. Analyzing National Incidences and Predictors of Open Conversion During Minimally Invasive Partial Nephrectomy for cT1 Renal Masses. J Endourol. 2021 Jan;35(1):30-38. DOI: 10.1089/end.2020.0161.
• 12. Wu SH*, Liu Y, Michalek J, Mesa R, Long Parma D, Rodriguez R, Mansour A, Svatek R, Tucker T, Ramirez A. Carotenoid Intake and Circulating Carotenoids Are Inversely Associated with the Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition. 2020 May 1;11(3):630-643. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmz120. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 13. Wu SH*, Munoz E, Liu Y, Svatek R, Mansour A, Ramirez A, Tomlinson G, Mesa R, Rodriguez R, Michalek J. Bladder Cancer Incidence and Survival in the United States and Texas Non-Latino Whites and Latinos. Bladder Cancer. 2020 Dec;6: 497-506. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 14. Cajipe M, Wang H, Elshabrawy A, Kaushik D, Liss M, Svatek R, Wu SH, Chowdhury WH, Ramamurthy C, Mansour AM. Pathological downstaging following radical cystectomy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Survival outcomes in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus transurethral resection only. Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations. 2020 Apr;38(4):231-239.
• 15. Zhu X, Hu X, Zhang X, Hu X, Ren H, Wu SH, Wu J, Wu G, Si X, Wang B. Survival analysis of patients with primary gallbladder cancer in the United States from 2010 to 2015: a retrospective study based on SEER data. Medicine 2020; 99:40.
• 16. Wu SH*, Fisher-Hoch S, Reininger BM, Lee M, McCormick J. Fruit and Vegetables Intake is Associated with Reduced Risk for Cancer in Mexican-Americans. Nutrition & Cancer 2019 Apr 24:1-9. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2019.1603315. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 17. Wu SH, Fisher-Hoch S, Reininger BM, McCormick J. Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Symptoms of Mental Health Conditions in Mexican Americans. Health Psychol. 2018;37(11):1059-1066. doi:10.1037/hea0000646.
• 18. Wu SH*, McCormick J, J Curran, Fisher-Hoch S. Transition from Pre-Diabetes to Diabetes and Predictors of Risk in Mexican-Americans. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy. 2017:10 491-503. DOI: 10.2147/DMSO.S136368. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 19. Wu SH*, Park KS. McCormick J. Effects of Exercise Training on Fat Loss and Lean Mass Gain in Mexican-American and Korean Premenopausal Women. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2017 (2017). doi:10.1155/2017/5465869. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 20. Akizhanova M, Iskakova E, Kim V, Wang X, Kogay R, Turebayeva A, Sun Q, Zheng T, Wu SH, Miao L, Xie Y. PSA and Prostate Health Index in Prostate Cancer Screening in a Hereditary Migration Complicated Population: Implications in Precision Diagnosis. J of cancer. 2017; 8(7):1223-1228. doi:10.7150/jca.18012
• 21. Wu SH, Ozaki K, Reed T, Krasnow RE, Dai J. A New Look at Genetic and Environmental Architecture on Lipids Using Non-Normal Structural Equation Modeling in Male Twins: The NHLBI Twin Study. Behav Genet. 2017 Apr 17; 47(4), 425-433. doi:10.1007/s10519-017-9841-7.
• 22. Wu SH, Kim TK, Wu X, Scherler K, Baxter D, Wang K, Krasnow RE, Reed T, Dai J. Circulating microRNAs and Life Expectancy among Identical Twins. Annals of Human Genetics. 2016 Sep;80(5):247-56. doi: 10.1111/ahg.12160. Epub 2016 Jul 12.
• 23. Wu SH, Fisher-Hoch S, Reininger B, Vatcheva K, McCormick J. Recommended levels of Physical Activity are Associated with Reduced Risk of the Metabolic Syndrome in Mexican-Americans. PLoS One. 2016 Apr 7;11(4):e0152896. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152896. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27054324.
• 24. Wu SH, Fisher-Hoch S, Reininger B, McCormick J. Meeting or Exceeding Physical Activity Guidelines is Associated with Reduced Risk for Cancer in Mexican-Americans. American Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2016, 4(1): 1-7. PMCID: PMC5438161.
• 25. Wu SH, Fisher-Hoch S, Reininger B, Vatcheva K, McCormick J. Metabolic Health has Greater Impact on Diabetes than Simple Overweight/Obese in Mexican-Americans. J Diabetes Res. 2016; 4094876. doi: 10.1155/2016/4094876. Epub 2016 Jan 10. PubMed PMID: 26881247; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4736910.
• 26. Wu SH, Shu XO, Milne G, Xiang YB, Zhang X, Cai Q, Fazio S, Linton MF, Chen H, Purdue M, Rothman N, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Uric acid correlates to oxidation and inflammation in opposite directions in women. Biomarkers. 2015 Jun;20(4):225-31. doi: 10.3109/1354750X.2015.1068852.
• 27. Qiu QC, Su Y, Zheng Y, Cai H, Wu SH, Lu W, Zheng W, Shu XO, Cai Q. Increased pSmad2 Expression and Cytoplasmic Predominant Presence of TGF-βRII in Breast Cancer Tissue Are Associated with Poor Prognosis: Results from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015; 149:467-77. PMID:25542272.
• 28. Wu SH*, Liu Z, Liu Z, Tse LA. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Lower Reproductive Tract Infections among Women in an Urban Area of China. International Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology. 2015; 4(2): 115-120. http://internationalscholarsjournals.org/journal/ijphe/articles. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 29. Jiang Y, Wu SH, Shu XO, Xiang YB, Ji BT, Zhang X, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Cruciferous Vegetables Intake and Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic. 2014;114(5):700-8.e2
• 30. Wu SH, Neale M, Reed T, Acton A, Considine R, Krasnow R, Dai J. Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Prospective Correlation between Elevated C-Reactive Protein and Coronary Heart Disease Death in Male Twins: the NHLBI Twin Study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014 Sep;34(9):2168-74.
• 31. Wu SH, Guo Q, Viken RJ, Reed T, Dai J. Heritability of Habitual Alcohol Hangover and Intoxication in Male Twins: the NAS-NRC Twin Registry. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Aug;38(8):2307-13.
• 32. Wu SH, Shu XO, Chow WH, Xiang YB, Zhang X, Li HL, Cai Q, Ji BT, Cai H, Rothman N, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Nonexercise Physical Activity and Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Markers in Chinese Women. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2014;23(2):159-67.
• 33. Wu SH*, Liu Z. Soy food Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis Using a Common Measure Across Studies. Nutrition & Cancer, 2013, 65(5): 625-632. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 34. Wu SH*, Liu Z. Socioeconomic Development Has Stronger Effect on Stroke Mortality than on Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality in the World. International Journal of Healthcare, Insurance and Equity, 2013, 1(1). *Corresponding and senior author.
• 35. Liu Z, Woo J, Wu SH, Ho SC. The Role of Vitamin D in Blood Pressure, Endothelial and Renal Function in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients, 2013, 5(7):2590-610.
• 36. Wu SH, Shu XO, Chow WH, Xiang YB, Zhang X, Li HL, Milne G, Wen W, Ji BT, Cai H, Rothman N, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Adiposity and Fat Distribution in Relation to Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in a Relatively Lean Population of Chinese Women. Disease Marker, 2013, 34(4):279-93.
• 37. Wu SH, Woo J, Zhang XH. Worldwide Socioeconomic Development Status and Stroke Mortality: An Ecological Study. International Journal of Equity 2013, 12 (1):42.
• 38. Wu SH, Ho SC, Lam TP, Woo J, Yuen PY, Qin L, Ku S. Sunlight Exposure and Breast Density: A Population-Based Study. Journal of Breast Cancer, 2013,16(2):171-177.
• 39. Wu SH, Shu XO, Chow WH, Xiang YB, Zhang X, Li HL, Ji BT, Cai H, Gao YT, Zheng W, Yang G. Soy Food Intake and Circulating Levels of Inflammatory Markers in Chinese Women. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2012,112:996-1004.
• 40. Yang G, Shu XO, Chow WH, Zhang X, Li HL, Ji BT, Cai H, Wu SH, Gao YT, Zheng W. Soy Food Intake and Risk of Lung Cancer: Evidence from the Shanghai Women's Health Study and a Meta-analysis. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2012,176(10):846-55.
• 41. Wu SH, Ho SC, Lam TP, Woo J, Yuen PY, Qin L, Ku S. Development and Validation of a Lifetime Exposure Questionnaire for Use among Chinese Populations. Sci Rep. 2013 Sep 30; 3:2793. doi: 10.1038/srep02793
• 42. Wu SH, Ho SC, Chau PH, Goggins W, Sham A, Woo J. Sex Differences in Stroke Incidence and Survival in Hong Kong, 2000 to 2007. Neuroepidmeiology, 2012,38(2):69-75
• 43. Wu SH, Tian LW, Xu F. Induced abortion and relevant factors among women seeking abortion in Nanjing, China. Gynecol Obstet Invest, 2011,71(2):87-92. *Corresponding and senior author.
• 44. Ho SC, Wu SH, Chan SG, Sham, A. Menopausal Transition and Changes of Body Composition: A Prospective Study in Chinese Perimenopausal Women. Int J Obes (Lond), 2010, 34(8):1265-74.
• 45. Wu SH, Ho SC, Liu Z. Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Pressure. South Med J, 2010,103(8):723-4.
• 46. Wu SH, Liu Z, Ho SC. Metabolic Syndrome and All-cause Mortality: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Eur J Epidemiol, 2010, 25(6):375-84.