Penghua Wang, PhD

I am primarily interested in host-pathogen interaction, with a focus on RNA viruses in vivo and in vitro. Specifically, I wish to understand pathogenic mechanisms of viral infection at the cellular and animal levels, and study the molecular function of host genes that influence viral pathogenesis and the disease outcomes. On the host side, I am keen on the innate immune system, detection of viruses and initiation of antiviral immune response. On the virus side, I wish to understand the mechanisms of immune evasion.

The Flaviviridae family consists of a large number of ssRNA viruses that cause fatal human diseases. For example, West Nile virus (WNV) is the culprit of thousands of encephalitis/meningitis cases and deaths since 1999. Dengue virus (DENV) infects 50 to 100 million people worldwide a year with a mortality of 1–5% if untreated. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects ~3% of the world's population and causes 350,000 deaths yearly. I attempt to identify novel host factors that restrict or facilitate virus pathogenesis in vivo and in vitro. These factors may be regulators of host antiviral immune pathways or participants of viral life cycle including surface receptors mediating viral entry. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of these disease conditions and virus specific host immune response can advance the development of specific antiviral therapeutics and vaccines.

1. Roles of NLRs in antiviral immune responses and the pathogenesis of West Nile viral encephalitis

2. Roles of UBXNs in antiviral immune responses