Dr. Cua has been with DNAX Research Institute, a division of Schering-Plough Research Institute since 2000. As Senior Principal Scientist of Discovery Research, he leads a team of immunologists and molecular biologists in search of novel therapeutic targets and validation of novel factors regulating immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. Since 2006, Dr. Cua has contributed to medical literature with more than 40 original articles, which appeared in journals such as Cell, Immunity, Nature Immunology, Annual Review of Immunology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, and Journal of Clinical Investigation. In 2003, his work appearing in the journal Nature demonstrated that IL-23 is a critical cytokine that promotes autoimmune inflammatory disorders. This key finding led to the development of the IL-23/Th17 “Immune Axis” Hypothesis. His team has filed more than 9 invention disclosures and he is principal inventor or co-inventor for 7 patent applications.

Dr. Cua completed his doctorate in 1997 with the department of Molecular and Cellular Immunology at University of Southern California, School of Medicine, in California USA.