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Isabel Chu has worked in the field of biomedicine since 1999, when they began as a Student Research Assistant at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital. In 2000, they became a Graduate Student at the University of Toronto, where they identified mechanisms linking estrogen receptor (ER) proteolysis to the aggressive behavior of ER-negative breast cancer, discovered a novel Src mediated p27 phosphorylation site that regulates p27 inhibitory function on cyclin E-cdk2 and mediates tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer, and resensitized tamoxifen resistant breast cancer cells utilizing Src (Saracatinib) and Erbb1/2 (Lapatinib) inhibitors. In 2007, they became a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where they reduced tumor growth in a triple negative breast cancer xenograft by promoting mesenchymal to epithelial (MET) differentiation via expression of the master transcription factor GATA3, generated an inducible BMI-1 animal model and identified novel phosphorylation sites of BMI-1 by mass spectrometry, and initiated and supervised collaborations with investigators with mass spectrometry expertise and supervised the progression of numerous projects with collaborators. In 2012, they became a Scientist II-Target Validation/Preclinical Discovery and a Scientist I-Target Validation at Cell Signaling Technology. In 2015, they became a Senior Scientist at Bluefin BioMedicine Inc. In 2021, they became an Associate Director at Initium Therapeutics Inc., and in 2022, they became a Principal Scientist at RVAC Medicines.

Isabel Chu attended the University of Toronto from 1996 to 2000, where they obtained an Honours Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Genetics. Isabel then continued their studies at the University of Toronto from 2000 to 2006, where they obtained a Ph.D. in Medical Biophysics.