Hua Lou

Hua Lou serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where she has maintained an active research program since joining the faculty in 2000. Her work bridges molecular genetics and clinical applications through innovative RNA-focused approaches.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1993)
• Postdoctoral fellowship at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with Dr. Robert Gagel
• Research Instructor position at Baylor College of Medicine with Dr. Susan Berget

Dr. Lou's research pioneers RNA-level correction of disease-causing mutations, with dual emphases on:

• Splicing defect therapies for Cystic Fibrosis (targeting 13% of CFTR mutations)
• NF1 haploinsufficiency interventions for cognitive/bone manifestations
• Tissue-specific alternative splicing mechanisms using engineered mouse models

Her laboratory uniquely combines pre-mRNA processing analysis with therapeutic design to address unmet needs in genetic disorder treatment.

As principal investigator, she directs a multidisciplinary research team developing RNA repair strategies while mentoring graduate students. Her lab maintains active collaborations across Case Western's medical research ecosystem, focusing on translating splicing biology into clinical applications for neurofibromatosis and cystic fibrosis patients.