Hyeryun Choe

Dr. Hyeryun Choe is a leading researcher at Boston Children's Hospital specializing in viral entry mechanisms and receptor identification. She directs the Choe Laboratory, which investigates how viruses including HIV-1, SARS-CoV, and Zika virus enter host cells. Her work has significant implications for developing antiviral therapies and vaccines against emerging pathogens.

Dr. Choe received her PhD from Pennsylvania State University in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Her postdoctoral training included work at Beth Israel Hospital on TFR1 receptor-mediated endocytosis and at Dana Farber Cancer Institute on HIV-1 research. She has established her independent laboratory at Boston Children's Hospital, spent time at The Scripps Research Institute's Florida Campus, and returned to Boston Children's Hospital in 2023.

Dr. Choe's research primarily focuses on viral entry mechanisms, with particular emphasis on identifying cellular receptors for clinically important viruses. Her laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding how HIV-1 uses CCR5 and other coreceptors, how SARS-CoV utilizes ACE2 as its receptor, and how New World hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses employ TFR1. She discovered that tyrosine sulfation is the sole common feature of all known HIV-1 coreceptors and is essential for their function. Her work also revealed that lysosomal enzymes cathepsins B and L are essential for SARS-CoV entry, TIM1 is a general entry-enhancing host factor for many viruses, and AXL mediates Zika virus infection of fetal endothelial cells, potentially contributing to fetal microcephaly.

Analysis of Dr. Choe's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on coronavirus research, particularly SARS-CoV-2. Her work spans viral entry mechanisms, vaccine development, and antiviral therapeutics. She has made significant contributions to understanding how the virus enters cells, how it adapts to humans, and how to develop effective countermeasures including engineered ACE2 proteins and improved vaccine platforms. Her research also extends to HIV-1 and Zika virus, demonstrating breadth across multiple viral pathogens while maintaining a unifying theme of viral entry mechanisms.

Dr. Choe has made substantial contributions to the field of virology through her laboratory's discoveries. While specific awards aren't listed in the provided information, her high-impact publications in top journals like Nature, Science, and Cell demonstrate recognition of her work by the scientific community.

As principal investigator of the Choe Laboratory, Dr. Choe oversees research projects spanning multiple areas of viral pathogenesis. Her team investigates viral entry mechanisms across different virus families, develops novel antiviral strategies including AAV vectors for targeted delivery, and works on improving protein therapeutics for viral diseases. Current projects include developing AAV vectors that specifically target CD4+ T cells or B cells, engineering B cells for HIV-1 vaccine evaluation, and finding strategies to minimize antibody-dependent enhancement in dengue virus infection.

The Choe Laboratory operates at the intersection of virology, cell biology, and structural biology, employing biochemical, cell biological, and structural approaches to understand viral entry mechanisms. The lab collaborates with other research groups, including the Farzan lab, to develop innovative antiviral strategies. Current work focuses on applying insights from viral entry research to develop improved vaccine platforms and therapeutic interventions for multiple viral pathogens.