Born in August 1962 in Lujiang, Anhui province, WU graduated from Changchun College of Geology in 1984 and received his Masters in 1987 and PhD in 1990. He continued to work at Changchun College as a professor from 1992 to 1998, before undertaking advanced studies at Rennes University, France, from 1995 to 1996. He transferred to the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS, in 2003.After years of research on the age and genesis of granites, crustal growth, the formation and evolution of the lithosphere mantle in eastern China, he has published more than 100 academic papers of which over 80 have more than 1000 SCI citations.
He serves the institute as current director.