Jonathan R. Lai

Jonathan R. Lai is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, holding the Dan Danciger Professorship of Biochemistry. His research focuses on biomedical applications of protein and antibody engineering, with interdisciplinary projects spanning phage display, structure-based protein design, and virology.

Research Interests:

• Engineering antibodies for novel immunotherapies against Ebola, Chikungunya, and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever viruses.
• Structure-based design of broad flavivirus immunogens targeting Dengue and Zika viruses.
• Phage display for dissecting protein-protein and protein-antibody interactions in diseases like Alzheimer’s, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and viral immunotherapy.

Publications highlight advancements in bispecific antibodies, nanoparticle immunogens, and structural biology approaches. His work bridges basic science and clinical applications, emphasizing antibody innovation for global health challenges.

Labs/Teams: Leads a research group at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, collaboration-focused with interdisciplinary teams in structural biology, virology, and immunology.