Jennifer V. Hines

Jennifer V. Hines is Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Ohio University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her research program focuses on RNA-targeted drug discovery for treating diseases including COVID-19, multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, and cancer through interdisciplinary approaches combining chemical, structural, and computational biology.

Research areas include:

• RNA structural characterization for viral and bacterial targets
• Development of RNA-binding small molecules
• Computational modeling of RNA-drug interactions
• Structural-activity relationship studies for therapeutic agents

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on RNA-targeted therapeutics, particularly T-box riboswitch modulation. Recent work explores SARS-CoV-2 RNA structures, glucose transport inhibition in cancer, and GSK-3 targeting mechanisms.

Research team includes eight graduate students working on projects ranging from SARS-CoV-2 RNA conformation to antibacterial riboswitch modulators. The lab employs biophysical, bioinformatics, and molecular biology techniques to advance RNA medicinal chemistry.