"From the first minute I joined her lab, I noticed how she always provides a healthy environment to foster the discussion of scientific ideas, respecting and valuing everyone’s point of view. I was amazed to see that this does not stop with her lab, but it extends far beyond. Joanna has devoted her time and experience to provide unique opportunities to talented students from different backgrounds to access research. She has worked to increase diversity and inclusion in science working in, and now directing, the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at UC Davis. It is fair to say that Joanna’s mentoring extends beyond science, making every one of her mentees to grow as a person by leading by the example."
So wrote Sergio Hidalgo Sotelo, assistant professor, Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, in his letter of support in the nomination of molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, for Fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA).
ESA announced today that Professor Chiu is one of nine elected 2025 Fellows. What is a Fellow? As ESA says on its website: "Fellows of ESA are individuals who have made outstanding contributions to entomology— via research, teaching, extension, administration, military service, and public engagement and science policy —and whose career accomplishments serve to inspire all entomologists. They need not be members of the Society."
The nine will be honored at ESA’s annual meeting, Entomology 2025, set Nov. 9-12, in Portland, Ore.
Professor Chiu is internationally recognized for her research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate circadian and seasonal biology and on invasive species genomics.
“The Chiu Laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate insect circadian and seasonal rhythms,” the ESA announced in news release on Aug. 4. “Biological rhythms are regulated by the endogenous timers and are critical for organismal adaptation to daily and seasonal changes in their environment. Chiu's research contributed to the understanding of the post-transcriptional/translational mechanisms that regulate the animal circadian clock, the mechanisms that enable the interpretation of environmental and metabolic signals to regulate circadian and seasonal rhythms, and the role of the circadian clock in seasonal adaptations. Her laboratory also leverages genomic approaches to study insect invasion biology and insecticide resistance development with the goal of developing new strategies for controlling agricultural pests.”
UC Davis Distinguished Professor Emeritus (and Recall Professor) Frank Zalom, active in ESA (Founding Member, Fellow and a past president) nominated her for the award. He praised her as a "brilliant and enthusiastic researcher" and lauded her commitment as a teacher, mentor and public servant
The Zalom lab and the Chiu lab joined forces in 2010 to target management of spotted wing drosophila (SWD), shortly after the pest was reported in North America. "We collaborate closely with UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, researchers in and out of California, growers, the berry and cherry industries, and other agribusinesses in our work to locate, monitor, and manage this invasive pest that has become established and is causing serious economic losses for strawberry, cherry, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry producers,” Zalom wrote in his letter of nomination.
Because insecticide resistance was first identified in California SWD populations, our team has focused considerable effort on the resistance issue with the Chiu lab specializing in genetics and genomics, and the Zalom lab involved with integrated pest management (IPM) of the insect and outreach to the growers," he said. "Professor Chiu has leveraged her expertise in the genetic basis of circadian rhythms in regulation of detoxification in Drosophila intended to improve effectiveness of drugs used as human medicines to better understand insecticide resistance mechanisms in SWD and this has proven extremely complimentary to the more pedestrian approach to resistance management resident in my lab."
The Chiu lab published an annotated genome for SWD in 2013 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1534/g3.113.008185) and posted it online to foster additional genomics research on the insect. "This tool provided a foundation for accelerating research using genomic technology for SWD management (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-016-0741-z) as well as our eventual work on insecticide resistance," Zalom wrote. "It was also used by Professor Chiu’s lab to develop a molecular diagnostic that had immediate application for quarantine purposes by enabling rapid identification of immature life stages found in fruit instead of waiting for the adult stages to emerge for morphological confirmation (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007485315000218). She has been co-PI on three multistate USDA-NIFA CAP grants totaling more than $8.36 million to develop integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for SWD in conventional and organic production."
Postdoctoral Research at Rutgers
A native of Hong Kong, Chiu received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in biology and music at Mount Holyoke College, Mass., and her doctorate in biology with a focus in molecular genetics at New York University She completed her postdoctoral research at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, in New Jersey.
Chiu joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology in 2010 as an assistant professor, advancing to associate professor in 2016 and to full professor in 2021. She served as vice chair of the department from 2016 to 2023 and became chair in 2023.
In 2019, Chiu was named one of 10 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellows for excellence in research and teaching. She received the 2019 Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology Research Award from the Pacific Branch of ESA (PBESA); the UC Davis Academic Senate’s 2022 Distinguished Teaching Award; the 2023 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research, and the 2024 PBESA Distinction in Mentoring Award. She co-founded and co-directs the campuswide Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology, launched in 2011 to provide undergraduates with a closely mentored research experience.
Chiu currently directs the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at UC Davis that is funded through a five-year $2.1 million National Institutes of Health award (Chiu is lead principal investigator). She is president-elect of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms and currently serves in various editorial roles for five scientific journals, Journal of Insect Science, Scientific Reports (Genomics and Genetics section), Frontiers in Neuroscience (Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Section), Journal of Biological Rhythms, and Frontiers in Physiology (Chronobiology section).
Connie Champagne, director, Educational Enrichment and Outreach Programs (EEOP), knows the impact of Professor Chiu's work. "I am always excited when Dr. Chiu has the capacity to mentor one of the EEOP students, as I know that each student in her lab is treated with kindness and respect, and they receive both excellent scientific training, and just as importantly, encouragement. Not only does Dr. Chiu provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for her undergraduates, but she is also personally invested in their success."
She mentioned that three EEOP alumni are currently enrolled in doctoral programs (Cornell, UCLA, and UC Berkeley), and another is with the NIH IRTA (Student Intramural Research and Training Award) Baccalaureate Program.
List of ESA Fellows
Other entomologists named 2025 Fellows of ESA are:
- Laura Harrington, Cornell University and Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases
- John Heraty, University of California, Riverside
- Margaret Mayfield, University of Melbourne
- Robert K.D. Peterson, Montana State University
- Paula Shrewsbury, University of Maryland
- Andrew Suarez, University of Illinois
- Michael Ulyshen, USDA Forest Service
- Jessica Ware, American Museum of Natural History
Entomologists who have received the honor of ESA Fellow appear on this list.
ESA, founded in 1889, is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists. Its 7000 members include educators, extension personnel, consultants, students, researchers, and scientists from agricultural departments, health agencies, private industries, colleges and universities, and state and federal governments.
As an aside, science isn't Joanna Chiu's only interest. This blog wouldn't be complete without mentioning Chiu's championship Golden Retrievers and their winning offspring. They compete in American Kennel Club shows and trials. Her Golden Retriever, Phoebe, won the Sporting Group 3 in July of 2024 at the Del Monte Kennel Club show in Carmel. Last month, same show, different year, Phoebe's 4.5-month-old puppy, Pari, won the Best Beginner Puppy in Show.
