Dr. Jia's research interest involves carbon source metabolism and its regulation in cancer cells as well as the molecular mechanisms that link metabolic disruptions in gut microbial-host co-metabolism to metabolic disorders and gastrointestinal cancer. Several research projects are being conducted in Dr. Jia's group to decipher the complex metabolic interactions in gut-liver-brain axis and regulation of cancer cell metabolism.

In addition, Dr. Jia directs a well-recognized metabolomics laboratory (currently as one of the UH Cancer Center shared resources). Over the past 13 years, his lab has developed a number of metabolomics technologies and protocols, focusing on the quantitative analysis of endogenous small-molecule metabolites and trace elements from biological specimens including blood, urine, saliva, and tissues of experimental animals and human subjects. Many of these technologies have been applied in clinical and translational research, involving (1) unbiased metabolic profiling and data mining, metabolite annotation and biological interpretation using combined high sensitivity, high throughput LC-MS-MS and GC-MS platforms; (2) targeted and quantitative analysis of metabolic rates and pathways using isotope labeled common substrates such as glucose and cholate; (3) classification and prediction of disease phenotypes based on their unique metabolic signatures and biomarkers for patient stratification and personalized treatment; and (4) novel methodologies to delineate the host-gut microbe co-metabolism of diets and multi-component herbal medicines, such as poly-pharmacokinetics and gut microbial metabolomics.

Membership and service
University of Hawaii Cancer Center: Honolulu, HI, US
| Committee member (Senior Leadership Executive Committee
University of Hawaii Cancer Center: Honolulu, HI, US
| Committee member (Shared Resource Oversight Committee)
Shanghai Center for Translational Medicine: Shanghai, CN
| Committee member (The Scientific Advisory Committee)
Metabolomics Association of North America: Atlanta, GA, US
| Founding MemberMembership
Source: Wei Jia

Honors
2017 - Founding Member of the Metabolomics Association of North America
2007 - The Shanghai Leading Scientist Award
2005 - The Aurora Scholar Award, Shanghai, China
2004 - New Century Talents Award, Ministry of Education, China
2003-2008 - Outstanding Faculty Award, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China