Pengcheng Shang, PhD

Dr. Pengcheng Shang has extensive research experiences in virology and completed the PhD study of pathobiology at Kansas State University in December 2018.During the PhD study, Dr. Shang broadly investigated the mechanisms controlling multiple aspects of virus replication and pathogenesis, including viral antagonism on host innate immunity, the biochemical properties of viral replicases and its role in virus replication and evolution, and the viral RNA elements regulating virus transcription. After graduation, Dr. Shang joined the Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh and works as a post-doc researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Terence Dermody, who is leading the research of mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus). Reovirus infects most mammals and has been linked to human celiac disease. Dr. Dermody’s laboratory focuses on the investigation of the mechanisms controlling reovirus replication and pathogenesis. Reovirus exhibits broad tissue tropism with serotype-specific pathological characteristics. However, host receptors dictating reovirus tissue tropism and diseases remain largely undefined. Dr. Shang have been dedicated to unravelling the mystery of reovirus tropism and pathogenesis and have identified two receptors engaged by distinct reovirus capsid proteins.

Dr. Shang have described the biological and biophysical characteristics of reovirus-receptor interactions and have determined the role of one receptor in reovirus pathogenesis. Dr. Shang am currently working on the studies about the structural biology of reovirus-receptor interactions and the significance for viral pathogenesis.