Jiang Zhu

Dr. Jiang Zhu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research, with joint appointments in Immunology & Microbiology and the Skaggs Graduate School. His research combines computational modeling with experimental validation to address biomedical challenges, focusing on antibody discovery, vaccine design, and structural studies of molecular complexes. Dr. Zhu earned his PhD in Computational Biology from the University of Science and Technology of China (2002) following a BS in Biology (1998).

Research interests include:

• Development of NGS technologies for antibody discovery and B-cell repertoire analysis
• Optogenetic control of neural circuits using engineered photoactive proteins
• Cryo-EM-driven structural modeling of viral complexes and ion channels
• Design of nanoparticle-based vaccines targeting HIV, influenza, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2

Notable achievements include three consecutive NIAID Merit Awards (2010-2012) for vaccine development. His lab's optical control work involves engineering LOV2/PYP/PHR-CIBN domains to manipulate ion channels like glutamate receptors. The lab maintains a unique focus on integrating computational platforms with experimental validation for vaccine design and structural studies.

Key collaborations include a 5-year agreement with UFOVAX Inc (2019) to advance HIV vaccine candidates. Grant-funded projects emphasize translational research with potential clinical applications in infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. The lab actively participates in NIH-funded vaccine trials and maintains an active postdoctoral training program.