Edward Harhaj

Dr. Edward Harhaj is a Professor at the Department of Cell and Biological Systems within the Penn State College of Medicine, affiliated with the Penn State Cancer Institute (Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis program). His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of viral-induced malignancy and innate antiviral immunity.

Education:

• PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine (1999)
• Postdoctoral Training in Immunobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2001)
• MS and BA in Biology, Bucknell University (1994 and 1992)

Research Interests: Dr. Harhaj investigates HTLV-1 (Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1), which causes adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HAM/TSP. His lab explores how the viral protein Tax activates the NF-kB/Rel transcription factor family, critical for tumor cell survival. Additionally, he studies negative regulation of innate immune pathways like RIG-I-MAVS and cGAS-STING, aiming to prevent excessive inflammation during antiviral responses.

Recent Research Trends: His work emphasizes autophagy and ubiquitin pathway components in Tax-mediated oncogenesis, as well as mitophagy and interferon signaling in innate immunity. Key subfields include signal transduction, transcription factor regulation, and immune homeostasis.

Grants & Projects: Active NIH-funded projects (NIAID) include studies on TAX1BP1, VEGFR2 regulation of HTLV-1, and ZFAND6 in antiviral immunity (2021–2026). Past projects (2015–2024) address innate immune signaling and autoimmune pancreatitis.

Laboratory Focus: The Harhaj lab employs multidisciplinary approaches to dissect virus-host interactions, oncogenic signaling, and innate immune regulation, with collaborations spanning molecular biology, virology, and immunology.