Wei Huang

Wei Huang, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. His research focuses on integrating computational and experimental structural biology to study molecular interactions in fundamental biological pathways. He specializes in cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and hydroxyl radical footprinting to investigate protein complexes involved in the central dogma of biology. Dr. Huang’s work aims to uncover structural mechanisms for potential therapeutic targets in diseases such as cancer and viral infections.

His research interests include structural biology of enzymes (e.g., estrogen receptor, 15-PGDH), RNA-protein interactions (riboswitches, ribonuclease P), and macromolecular assemblies (e.g., STRIPAK complexes, augmin). He has developed integrative modeling approaches combining experimental and computational data, such as the iSPOT framework for multiprotein complex analysis. Collaborations with Dr. Derek Taylor and others have advanced studies on nanobodies for pan-sarbecovirus immunity and structural specializations of sperm tails.

Notable recent work includes identifying small molecule inhibitors of 15-PGDH, elucidating tRNA recognition by arginyl-tRNA transferase, and structural studies on SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing nanobodies. These projects highlight his interdisciplinary approach to understanding biological systems at atomic resolution.

Dr. Huang’s research has been published in high-impact journals like Nature Communications, Cell, and Cell Reports, with a focus on structural insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic development.