Iowa State University · BiologyHIV Persistence Research Lab
Jian Zhu · Ames, Iowa
Research Focus
Dr. Jian Zhu's lab at Ohio State University focuses on understanding how HIV persists in the body, particularly in the brain, and how factors like drug use influence this persistence. They explore the role of host genes and epigenetic regulation in keeping HIV dormant and investigate potential therapies by repurposing existing FDA-approved drugs. By studying how drugs like cocaine affect gene expression related to HIV, the lab aims to develop strategies for effective treatments.
HIVepigeneticsmicrogliacocainedrug repurposingneuroinflammationgene isoformsviral latency
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate host epigenetic factors driving HIV latency in microglia.
AIM 02Identify novel host gene isoforms that contribute to HIV persistence in cocaine users.
AIM 03Evaluate FDA-approved drugs for their potential to target and suppress HIV in the brain.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureRNA sequencingCRISPR screeningproteomicsgene expression analysismouse modelsdrug screeningimmunocytochemistryWestern blotstatistical analysis
Output against the department
Publications735top 3% of dept.29th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations153ktop 1% of dept.4th of 1,033
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.