Virology & Mycology
Open Access

Lijun Rong

Biography

Dr. Lijun Rong received his PhD in molecular biology from Purdue University, and did his postdoctoral training in virology at University of Pennsylvania.  He is currently an associate professor at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois of Chicago. His laboratory is mainly focused on elucidating the entry mechanisms of several important animal viruses and on developing potential therapeutics against viral entry and pathogenesis. His research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (USA), Journal of Virology, Virology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, Virology Journal. 

 

Research Interest

Dr. Rong laboratory is mainly focused on elucidating the entry mechanisms of several important animal viruses and on developing potential therapeutics against viral entry and pathogenesis Currently His group is working with Ebola and Marburg viruses, influenza viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and SARS-CoV.  All of these viruses are enveloped viruses, thus their entry to the target cells is solely determined by interactions between the viral glycoprotein(s) and its cognate cellular receptor(s). His group is particularly interested in the following areas:
(1) Identification and characterization of the cellular receptor(s) for a particular virus.
(2) molecular, biochemical and structural analysis of the viral glycoproteins. (3) mechanisms of glycoprotein/receptor interactions in membrane fusion and viral entry.
(4) development of therapeutic inhibitors against specific viral entry and infection.