About

Rossana Hu is the Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, effective spring semester 2024. She is also the Miller Professor and Director of the MSD-PDD Program. Hu co-founded Neri&Hu Design and Research Office in 2006, an interdisciplinary architectural design practice based in Shanghai, which emphasizes responding to a global worldview and integrating research as a key design tool. Her practice focuses on addressing unique contextual issues in each project through a critical paradigm in architecture. Alongside her professional practice, Rossana Hu has been deeply committed to architectural education, lecturing at various universities and professional forums worldwide. She has held visiting professorships and design critic roles at prestigious institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Yale School of Architecture. She was appointed the Howard Friedman Visiting Professor of Practice in 2023 at UC Berkeley, served as a Design Critic in 2021 and 2023, and was the John C. Portman Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard in 2019. In 2021, she was appointed Chair of the Department of Architecture at Tongji University. Hu is also a Founding Partner of Design Republic in Shanghai, a platform that incorporates retail concepts, design, cultural exhibitions, and education. In 2015, she was appointed Creative Director of Stellar Works and has served on the International Advisory Board of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra since 2018. She holds a Master of Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley, with a minor in music.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Surgery
• Computer Science
• Biochemistry
• Endocrinology
• Andrology
• Cardiology
• Immunology
• Biology

Selected publications

• Effect of Oversewing vs Stapling the Dorsal Venous Complex on Positive Margins in Robotic Prostatectomy

  JU Open Plus · 2026-04-01

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: During robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) for prostate cancer treatment, several methods are used to control the dorsal venous complex (DVC), including oversewing or using the robotic stapler. This study compared overall and apical positive surgical margin (PSM) rates between these 2 techniques; secondary outcomes included 30-day complications, hematocrit change, hospital length of stay, and surgical costs. Methods: A single-center retrospective review of patients undergoing RALP between 2017 and 2024 was performed. Patients were categorized into the oversewing or stapling group. PSM rates were compared using log-binomial regression models. Surgical costs were estimated from facility equipment charges and an estimated operating room (OR) time cost of $36 per minute. Results: A total of 267 patients were included in the study, with 43 (16.1%) in the oversewing group and 224 (83.9%) in the stapling group. Overall, PSM rates were similar in the oversewing and stapling groups (30.8% vs 30.2%, P = .941), as were apical PSM rates (8.9% vs 9.3%, P = .931). No significant differences were found in 30-day complications, length of stay, or hematocrit changes. The oversewing method was $547 less expensive than the stapling method, factoring in equipment and OR time costs. Conclusions: The oversewing and stapling methods perform similarly with respect to overall and apical PSM status. Patient outcomes, including 30-day complication rates, length of stay, and hematocrit changes, are equally favorable with both methods. Despite these similar patient outcomes, the oversewing method warrants consideration among urologists because it is a more cost-effective approach for controlling the DVC.

  PublisherDOI

• Demographics, Complications, and Management of Genitourinary Gunshot Wounds: National Trauma Data Bank Analysis

  Urology · 2025-05-12

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Circulating Tissue Specific Extracellular Vesicles for Noninvasive Monitoring of Acute Cellular Rejection in Clinical Heart Transplantation

  Transplantation · 2025-04-16 · 6 citations

  article

  BACKGROUND: There remains a critical need for biomarkers of acute cellular rejection (ACR) in heart transplantation. We hypothesized that immunopathophysiology of ACR is reflected via dynamic changes in the protein and RNA cargoes of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) released by cardiac allograft and T cells into circulation, thus enabling noninvasive window into ACR. METHODS: T-cell sEVs were enriched using anti-CD3 antibody beads, and antidonor HLA I antibody beads for donor sEVs. Cargoes of donor sEVs (cardiac troponin T [cTnT] protein and mRNA) and T-cell sEVs (CD4, CD8, T-cell receptor proteins, miRNAs [miRs] let 7i, 101b, 21a) were compared with time-matched endomyocardial biopsy samples (n = 70) in 12 patients to postoperative day 120. RESULTS: Six patients had 11 moderate ACR (15.7%) episodes, 1 had antibody-mediated rejection, and 5 had ≤ mild ACR. By Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, cTnT protein ( P = 6.04 × 10 -5 ) and mRNA ( P = 6.87 × 10 -7 ) were decreased with moderate ACR compared with grades 0/1 ACR. T-cell sEV CD4, CD8, and TCR protein cargoes ( P ≤ 3.92 × 10 -5 ) and miRs let 7i, 101b, and 21a ( P ≤ 9.05 × 10 -5 ) were increased with moderate ACR. Successful treatment of moderate ACR led to dynamic reversal in sEV profiles, especially donor heart sEV cTnT mRNA (Spearman coefficient 0.87) and miR 21a (coefficient 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Our first investigation in heart transplant patients demonstrated that circulating T cell-sEV and donor heart-sEV profiles enable diagnosis of moderate ACR with high diagnostic accuracy. A large sample cohort external validation study is warranted to better understand diagnostic potential of this platform for ACR monitoring in heart transplantation.

  PublisherDOI

• B-cell extracellular vesicle biomarkers for detection of antibody-mediated rejection in lung transplantation

  JTCVS Techniques · 2025-03-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Survival and treatment in older patients with ewing sarcoma: an analysis of the national cancer database

  European journal of medical research · 2024-01-05 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Ewing sarcoma (EWS) is a malignancy which primarily arises in adolescence and has been studied extensively in this population. Much less is known about the rare patient cohort over the age of 40 at diagnosis. In this study, we describe the survival outcomes and clinical characteristics of this population. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to identify 4600 patients diagnosed between 2004 through 2019. Of these patients, 4058 were under the age of 40 and 542 were over 40. Propensity score 1:1 matching was performed according to sex and race. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to generate odds ratios (OR) and a Multivariate Cox regression model was used to generate a hazard ratio (HR) for patients over 40. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate survival from diagnosis to death between age groups. Chi-square tests were used to compare demographic and socioeconomic patient characteristics. IBM statistics version 27.0 was used. p < 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: EWS patients older than 40 experienced worse survival outcomes compared to patients under the age of 40. 5-year survival was 44.6% for older patients vs. 61.8% for younger patients (p < 0.05). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that age was independently associated with inferior survival. (HR 1.96; p < 0.05). EWS patients over the age of 40 were more likely to have tumors originating from the vertebral column (16.1% vs 8.9%; p < 0.05) and cranium (5.3% vs. 2.9%; p < 0.05) and had a higher rate of axial tumors (31.6% vs. 18.5%; p < 0.05) compared to patients under 40. Additionally, patients older than 40 experienced a significantly longer delay between the date of diagnosis and initiation of systemic treatment (36.7 days vs. 24.8 days; p < 0.05) and were less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy (93.4% vs. 97.9%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: An age over 40 is associated with decreased survival for patients with EWS. Due to the rarity of EWS in this cohort, the optimal role of systemic treatment remains unknown and has yet to be clearly elucidated. Consequently, our findings suggest that older patients receive disparities in treatment which may be contributing to decreased survival rates.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Disparities in Overall Survival Within AANHPI Subpopulations With Cervical Cancer [ID 2683427]

  Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2024-05-01

  article

  INTRODUCTION: The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community is a diverse group, including over 21 ethnic groups, but is often misrepresented as one cohort. Differences in human papillomavirus prevalence and access to care lead to varying cervical cancer incidences and outcomes within the AANHPI community. Here, we compare overall survival (OS) of cervical cancer patients within the AANHPI subpopulations. METHODS: The National Cancer Database identified 84,395 women with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (ICD-O-3-code 8070). Races listed as “unknown/other” or “Other Asian” were excluded. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression model were performed. RESULTS: This study identified 985 East Asian (EA), 395 South Asian (SA), 1,073 Southeast Asian (SEA), and 290 NHPI patients with cervical cancer. Mean OS was 144.0 months for EA, 137.0 months for SA, 132.6 months for SEA, and 116.1 months for NHPI. Kaplan–Meier revealed worse OS for SEA and NHPI compared to SA ( P =.011, P &lt;.001, respectively) and EA ( P =.002, P &lt;.001, respectively). EA (hazard ratio [HR] 0.522; P &lt;.001), SA (HR 0.490; P &lt;.001), and SEA (HR 0.633; P &lt;.001) had lower survival hazard ratios compared to NHPI. CONCLUSION: Survival disparities exist among AANHPI subgroups with cervical cancer. Disaggregation of AANHPI subpopulations revealed that SEA and NHPI patients had worse OS. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander patients had greater survival hazard ratios after controlling for socioeconomic variables. This study highlights the need to disaggregate AANHPI data so that disparities among subpopulations can be identified, investigated, and addressed.

  PublisherDOI

• Peripheral Blood Extracellular Vesicle RNA Profiling: The Next Step in Cancer Liquid Biopsies

  Annals of Surgical Oncology · 2024-05-16 · 1 citations

  editorialOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Disparities in survival in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander patients with gastric adenocarcinoma: An NCDB analysis.

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2024-01-20 · 1 citations

  article

  253 Background: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) individuals exhibit stark disparities in gastric cancer mortality rates, with AANHPI men facing a two-fold higher risk of death and AANHPI women encountering a 2.5-fold elevated risk compared to their Non-Hispanic White (NHW) counterparts. However, the AANHPI community is a diverse group, including over 21 ethnic groups. Here, we identify disparities among AANHPI subpopulations with gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, which gathers data from over 1,500 accredited hospitals and facilities across the United States, this retrospective cohort study identified 141,906 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (ICD code “8140”). Races listed as “unknown/other” or “Other Asian” were excluded. Kaplan Meier and Cox Regression model were performed. Results: This study compared mean overall survival (OS) of NHW (n=111,137), East Asian (EA) (n=3,745), South Asian (SA) (n=760), Southeast Asian (SEA) (n=1,379), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI) (n=325) patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. When aggregated, AANHPI had statistically significant improved OS compared to NHW (21.6 months vs 14.1 months, p &lt; 0.001). After disaggregating, the mean OS was 26.9 months for EA; 21.3 months for SA; 14.5 months for SEA; and 14.3 months for NHPI. Only SA and EA had significantly improved OS than NHW (p&lt;0.001 for both). SEA and NHPI had significantly worse outcomes than EA (p&lt;0.001 for both) and SA (p&lt;0.001 for SEA, and p = 0.033 for NHPI). Multivariate analysis accounted for age at diagnosis, insurance status, median income quartile, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score, facility type, stage at diagnosis, and time to treatment. SA (HR=0.82; 95% CI, 0.726 to 0.925; p&lt;0.001)), EA (HR=0.644; 95% CI, 0.609 to 0.68; p&lt;0.001), and SEA (HR=0.896; 95% CI, 0.821 to 0.978, p=0.014) had lower survival hazard ratios compared to NHW. NHPI (HR=0.931, 95% CI 0.775 to 1.119, p=0.448) did not have a statistically significant relationship compared to NHW. EA (HR = 0.637; 95% CI 0.548 to 0.741, p&lt;0.001) and SA (HR = 0.793; 95% CI 0.667 to 0.943, p=0.007) had significantly lower survival hazard ratios compared to NHPI. Conclusions: Survival disparities exist among AANHPI subgroups with gastric adenocarcinoma. At first glance, OS appeared significantly greater for AANHPI patients compared to NHW. However, disaggregation of AANHPI subpopulations revealed that Southeast Asian and NHPI actually had comparable OS with NHW. After controlling for socioeconomic factors, NHPI had significantly worse hazard ratios compared to South Asian and East Asian. This highlights the need to disaggregate AANHPI data so that disparities among these diverse subpopulations can be identified, investigated and ultimately addressed.

  PublisherDOI

• Factors Impacting Survival Outcomes of Islet Cell Carcinoma

  Endocrine Abstracts · 2023-02-01

  article

  Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

  PublisherDOI

• Circulating T cell specific extracellular vesicle profiles in cardiac allograft acute cellular rejection

  American Journal of Transplantation · 2023-10-30 · 12 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Andreas Habertheuer

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  21 shared

• Prashanth Vallabhajosyula

  16 shared

• Laxminarayana Korutla

  Yale University

  10 shared

• Peter T. Silberstein

  7 shared

• Keith D. Lindor

  Mayo Clinic in Arizona

  6 shared

• Joey Harmon

  Commonwealth Medical College

  6 shared

• Wilson Y. Szeto

  City of Hope

  6 shared

• Joseph E. Bavaria

  University of Pennsylvania

  6 shared

Labs

• Neri&Hu Design and Research OfficePI

Awards & honors

• Howard Friedman Visiting Professor of Practice at the Univer…
• Design Critic at Harvard Graduate School of Design (2023, 20…
• John C. Portman Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard Gra…
• Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor at Yale School of Architect…
• Norman R. Foster Visiting Professor Chair at Yale School of…