Page 8 - The Hormel Institute 2024 Annual Report

8 | THE HORMEL INSTITUTE
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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Associate Professor
Background and Experience
I received my early education in India and my PhD in the area of Molecular Biophysics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. I trained in structural virology and X-ray crystallography at Purdue University, West Lafay- ette, Indiana, and later at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.
I was promoted to Assistant Professor and later to Associate Professor at the Scripps Research Institute. During this period, I helped develop VIPERdb (http://viperdb.org), a popular virus structural database that continues to be a valuable resource for researchers worldwide. I remain actively involved in its ongoing development and maintenance, which is now housed at The Hormel Institute.
A few years ago, with the resolution revolution of cryoEM unfolding, I shifted my focus from X-ray crystallography to determine virus structures using cryoEM, par- ticularly of human adenoviruses that we are interested in, which cause self-limiting respiratory, ocular, and enteric diseases, especially in children. Significantly, altered adenoviruses are being used as vehicles for creating safe vaccines against human diseases (e.g., COVID-19 vaccines by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson).
My research group has a long-standing interest in structural virology, data science, and rational vaccine design. Building upon this foundation, we are now expanding our research at HI to explore the mechanisms of adenovirus entry and trafficking within cells.
Why I Chose The Hormel Institute
One of the key factors that drew me to the Institute was the availability of advanced technologies, including a 300kV Titan Krios microscope for cryoEM, high-performance computing (HPC) facilities that are essential for memory intensive data processing, and the planned acquisition of a Focus Ion Beam with Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB- SEM), which is crucial for studying the cell biology of viral life cycles. I was also partic- ularly impressed by the collaborative and supportive atmosphere. I’m thrilled to be part of such a dynamic and innovative research community.
Assistant Professor
Background and Experience
I earned my PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where I focused on under- standing tendon stem cells and developing stem cell-based therapies to repair injured tendons and ligaments. These efforts have shaped my research interests in under- standing how adult stem cells or progenitors maintain homeostasis and why they fail to repair tissue under chronic conditions. Since cell fate in adult lung cells can be manipulat- ed to promote repair and regeneration, my research targets these adult stem cells to restore homeostasis and reverse fibrosis.
In 2014, I joined Mayo Clinic in Rochester to
begin my postdoctoral training in the field
of lung fibrosis. I developed a 3D co-culture organoid model to study cell-cell interactions within tissue-like environments, as well as an in vitro platform using patient-derived primary lung cells to study lung fibrosis.In 2019, I was promoted to Assistant Professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Before joining HI, I received my first independent National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant to study lung fibrosis.
My lab now aims to understand the extrinsic and intrinsic signals that maintain alveolar epithelial cell identity and tissue homeostasis in the lung, with the goal of developing new regenerative therapeutic strategies.
Why I Chose The Hormel Institute
• Location and Collaborative Opportunities: The Institute’s prime location in Austin, near Mayo Clinic Rochester and the University of Minnesota, offers exceptional opportunities for collaborative studies and partnerships.
• Research Freedom and Support: the Institute provides an environment where scientists have the freedom to follow their scientific instincts and engage in high-risk, high-reward research and allows researchers to fully dedicate their efforts to their work, supported by state-of-the-art core facilities and spacious, well-equipped labs.
• Societal Impact: The Institute’s “cancer+” mission goes beyond cancer research to tackle a wide range of critical chronic diseases. This focus on addressing significant societal challenges creates a diverse and dynamic research environment, making a meaningful impact on public health.