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JH Lab Laboratory of Epigenetics of Viral Infections

Laboratory of Epigenetics of Viral Infections, Duke-NUS

What a respiratory virus changes inside our cells, and what it leaves behind

We study how influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses reprogram the cells they infect, and how those changes shape the course of infection and recovery.

Influenza-infected human airway epithelium, confocal cross-section: cilia green, nuclei blue, infected cells red
Explore our research Meet the team

Our approach

Infection is only the beginning of the story

To catch these changes in the act, we combine next-generation and long-read sequencing with multi-omics, biochemistry and molecular biology.

And we do it in systems that behave like real tissue: human airway models grown from iPSCs and adult stem cells, alongside mouse models of respiratory infection.

CiliatedGobletInfectedBasalInfluenza A virionMucus and cilia
Fig. 1The human airway lining we model in the lab. Influenza A virus lands in the mucus, infects a ciliated cell and turns it into a factory for new virions.

Our research

Two questions, from the first infected cell to long after recovery

Question 1

Reference transcriptInfection-specific isoformnew protein

How does infection rewire RNA processing?

Viral infection generates a rich landscape of alternatively processed and translated RNAs and proteins, and almost all of it is missed when you only look at reference genes and transcripts. We hunt for these infection-specific molecules, work out how they arise, and test how they tip host-virus interactions and the outcome of infection.

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Question 2

Accessibilityclosed to openNucleosomes and DNA methylation

How does infection reshape the epigenome?

A virus can dramatically remodel the chromatin landscape of its host cell, changing how genes are regulated during and after infection. We track down the viral and host factors behind this epigenetic reprogramming, and ask a question we find irresistible: do these changes fade once the infection clears, or do they leave a lasting molecular imprint on tissue recovery and long-term health?

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The big goal? Uncover the fundamental mechanisms of viral disease, and turn those discoveries into new therapies that target both the virus and the damage it leaves in the host.

Jessica Ho, Principal Investigator

Come explore these questions with us

We are always keen to hear from curious, driven people who want to find out what viruses leave behind in our cells. PhD students, postdocs and visiting scientists: say hello.

See open positions Get in touch
SARS-CoV-2 infected airway cells, in red, among green epithelium

Our mission

Infection rewrites how the host genome is read. We follow what that costs, and what recovers.

SARS-CoV-2 infected airway cells, in red