[1] Wu served as the chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and an adjunct professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles until his death from pancreatic cancer on 27 October 2023, at the age of 60.

[2][3] In 1980, Wu Zunyou passed the college entrance examination and was admitted to the Department of Health of Anhui Medical University.

Wu obtained a master's degree in epidemiology from Anhui Medical University in 1988.

[5] In April 2017, he served as chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.In January 2023, Wu Zunyou was elected as a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Died of pancreatic cancer at 12:56 on October 27, 2023, at the age of 60;[6] according to his last wish, the funeral was kept simple and no farewell ceremony was held.