She was trained as a physicist and her initial research was in the field of fluid mechanics. She contributed to fundamental understanding of the instabilities of fluid motion under the influence of external shear stresses, using an integrated experimental and theoretical approach. Dr. Wu joined the faculty of Cornell in 2003 and refocused her research towards the field of cellular dynamics. In particular, She investigates the roles of biophysical (e.g. fluid flows and matrix stiffness) and biochemical cues (e.g. chemical gradients) in directing cell migration, using a unique set of tools that originated in her fluid mechanics background.