World Immunology & Vaccines Congress
World Immunology & Vaccines Congress
University of Louisville
USA
Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology, Center for Predictive
Medicine
University of Louisville
Dr. Jian Zheng joined Microbiology and Immunology as
tenure-track Assistant Professor on April 1, 2022. Jian received his M.D. from Southern
University in China and his Ph.D. in Immunology from Hong Kong University. He carried out his postdoctoral research in
Dr. Stanley Perlman’s laboratory at University of Iowa investigating host
immune responses to coronaviruses and evaluating potential vaccines as well as
anti-viral drugs. He has published his
findings in top tier journals including Cell, PNAS, Science Translational
Medicine and Nature.
Research
Interests
1. Host
immune responses to coronaviruses and other respiratory virus infections. Severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to be a major
global threat, and the likelihood of another CoV outbreak looms large over
humanity. However, the progression of virus-related disease is never a solo
dance of pathogens but is modulated by host immune responses. Human lungs are
the organ with the largest surface area in our bodies, in constant contact with
external environment. A comprehensive understanding of the roles of
airway-resident immunity and its interaction with systemic immune responses
during viral infections will be key to unlocking the pathogenesis of CoVs and
other respiratory virus infections, especially seasonal influenza virus
infection.
2.
Aged-related immunoregulation and inflammation in the respiratory system. Unlike
solid organs, the development and maturation of the lung continues after birth
and lasts into adulthood. During aging of hosts, progressively decreased lung
function, accompanied by structural changes in the respiratory tract and
biological changes in resident and circulating cells, leads to impaired gas
exchange and predisposition to infectious diseases and tumors. Therefore,
elucidating aged-related immune modulation in the respiratory system is vital
to enable us to confront increasing health problems in an aging society. We
will specifically focus on aging-dependent signaling pathways, such as the
PLA2G2D-PGD2-DP1 pathway, and their roles in inflammatory diseases.
3.
Translational Medicine.My medical background motivates my enthusiasm for bridging
basic science research outcomes to their clinical application. Establishing
animal models that reflect key characteristics of human diseases represents a
critical step in translational medicine and will be a major focus of my lab.
Host factor-targeting treatments could be potential solutions to counteract
viral evolution. In my previous investigations, my colleagues and I explored
new applications of “old” drugs for treating respiratory virus infections and
other diseases. By collaborating with clinicians, chemists, and
biopharmaceutical companies, I am dedicated to exploring novel therapies and
preventive strategies against respiratory virus infections and other immune
disorder-related diseases.