معرفی
Eric Jan is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine. His research focuses on translational control mechanisms during cellular stress and viral infections, with a particular emphasis on internal ribosome entry sites (IRES) and their role in hijacking host translation machinery. He holds prestigious awards including the Michael Smith Scholar, CIHR New Investigator, and Killam Excellence for Mentoring Education, reflecting his contributions to both research and mentorship. Dr. Jan's lab explores how viruses like Cricket Paralysis Virus (CrPV) and SARS-CoV-2 manipulate ribosomes, and how these insights can be applied to mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) therapeutic technologies.
- Education: BSc (Queen’s University, 1994), PhD (Northwestern University, 1999), Postdoctoral Fellowship (Stanford University, 1999-2005).
Research Interests: Dr. Jan investigates the noncanonical translation mechanisms of viruses, particularly how IRES elements bypass host initiation factors to drive protein synthesis. His work bridges fundamental gene expression studies with applications in antiviral therapies, diabetes research (via ER stress and eIF2A), and mRNA-LNP delivery systems. Recent projects include mining virome data for novel RNA elements, engineering platelets for therapeutic uses, and developing extrahepatic mRNA delivery strategies.
Publications: His recent work (2023-2025) spans virome mining for IRES elements, mRNA-LNP formulation optimization, ER stress in beta cells, and viral protease impacts on host pathways. Key journals include Nature Communications, PLoS Pathogens, and Science Advances.
Scientific Awards:
- Michael Smith Scholar
- CIHR New Investigator
- Killam Excellence for Mentoring Education
Students and Lab Members: Current lab members include postdoctoral fellows, PhD and MSc students, and technicians working on viral translation, mRNA-LNP applications, and stress granule dynamics. His mentees have secured NSERC fellowships and co-supervised roles.
Labs and Collaborations: The Jan Lab collaborates extensively on mRNA-LNP projects (e.g., with Cullis, Kastrup) and viral pathogenesis studies. They employ biochemical, virological, and high-throughput sequencing approaches to dissect host-virus interactions and RNA translation mechanisms.
