We want to share important news coverage of the story of Dr. Jane Ying Wu, the distinguished neuroscientist whose tragic death and family lawsuit have sparked national discussion about academic accountability and the treatment of researchers in U.S. institutions.
NPR published an in-depth report on this story, “Family sues after researcher’s death,” highlighting the university probe and offering thoughtful reporting and context around the lawsuit and the questions it raises about institutional conduct and broader impacts on the scientific community. The NPR piece highlights the AASF led report on the chilling effect of the China Initiative and the national response letter, signed by over 1,000 scholars, including Nobel Laureates, calling on Northwestern University to acknowledge its treatment of Dr. Wu and to provide stronger protections for faculty and researchers.
The story will reach audiences nationwide through national and local NPR stations. It features a quote from Dr. Arnold Strauss, a pediatric cardiologist who was a colleague of Dr. Wu and a signatory of the AASF letter. In addition, Elizabeth Rao, Dr. Wu’s daughter, shares her reaction to her mother’s death.
Strauss shared that he felt that the China Initiative, which may have influenced NIH’s investigation into Dr. Wu’s work, “destroyed people’s careers and, of course, her life.”
Rao shares that she was shattered by her mother’s sudden death. Rao said that her mother “Always found inspiration in brilliant women. She saw America as a place where women can flourish through their own hard work and their own intelligence.”
We are grateful to NPR reporter Emily Feng for her careful and thorough investigation of this sensitive and complex issue, which includes extensive interviews and narrative detail that help illuminate the human and professional toll of this case.
In addition to NPR, this story has received additional coverage from national and local outlets:
Evanston RoundTable interviewed AASF Executive Director Gisela Kusakawa, who “described Wu’s death as both a ‘private tragedy’ but also something that concerned the Asian American community at large.” – Asian American Scholar Forum sends letter to Northwestern condemning the death of Jane Wu
NextShark featured our letter and highlighted the mental health impact on Asian Americans. – Over 1,000 scholars demand Northwestern apologize for treatment of late professor
Daily Northwestern confirmed the case will move forward and quoted our letter. – Estate of Jane Wu’s civil case against Northwestern, Northwestern Memorial Hospital to proceed
We want to thank the journalists who have pursued this story with depth, sensitivity, and rigor. Their work contributes to a more informed public conversation about fairness and the structural factors affecting scholar and scientific communities in the United States.
We are deeply grateful to the signatories of the letter and to all who have stood with us. Your voice honors Dr. Wu’s legacy and reinforces our shared commitment to protecting our research, scholars, and scientific community, while strengthening and upholding the values of America.