Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · EngineeringThe Epigenetic Interactions Lab
Chang Lu · Blacksburg, Virginia
Research Focus
Dr. Chang Lu's research lab focuses on understanding how environmental factors and genetic variations influence opioid addiction through epigenetic mechanisms. By studying the brain at the molecular level, they aim to discover how these factors shape behavior and neural plasticity. Their cutting-edge work combines experimental techniques with advanced data analysis to reveal the complex interactions between genes and the environment in the context of addiction.
opioid addictionepigeneticsneural plasticitygene-environment interactionsbioinformaticsdrug exposuretranscriptomicschromatin dynamicsaddiction biologygenomic technologies
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how epigenomic mechanisms are influenced by adolescent drug exposure.
AIM 02Explore the impact of genetic variants on addiction-related behaviors.
AIM 03Analyze brain-region specific changes in gene expression related to opioid exposure.
AIM 04Understand the role of environmental stimuli in shaping neural pathways associated with addiction.
AIM 05Characterize the dynamic interactions between genetics and epigenetics in the context of addiction.
Skills the Lab Values
CRISPRbioinformaticschromatin profilingRNA sequencinganimal modelsmolecular biology techniquesdata analysis in Rhigh-throughput sequencingcell cultureneuroscience techniques
Output against the department
Publications359top 21% of dept.58th of 278
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.1ktop 50% of dept.138th of 278
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.