Research Interest: 

My laboratory studies the biology of RNA viruses. Our goals are to understand mechanisms of RNA processing and RNA modifications in respiratory viruses including human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and SARS-CoV-2; and to understand the roles of RNA modification in viral replication, gene expression, innate immunity, pathogenesis to facilitate the rational design and development of new vaccines and anti-viral drugs. Our lab has a long history of studying viral RNA processing and RNA modifications. During 2004-2008, we characterized mRNA capping enzyme and mRNA cap methyltransferases and unraveled a unique mechanism of mRNA capping and cap methylation in non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses. During 2008-2016, we discovered that mRNA cap methylation modulates viral replication, pathogenesis, innate and adaptive immunity. Since 2016, we discovered several internal RNA methylation sites (such as N⁶-methyladenosine, m⁶A; 5-methylcytosine, m⁵C; pseudouridine, Ψ; 2’-O-methylation, N_m) in RSV, hMPV, and SARS-CoV-2 and found that these RNA modifications play important roles in viral replication, gene expression, and pathogenesis.