Sun Lab

Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research
Medicine, Infectious Diseases
University of Virginia School of Medicine

Mission Statement

Translating our discoveries in treating acute and chronic diseases caused by viral infection including COVID-19

Respiratory viral infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for more than 2 million deaths word-wide per year. Viral pandemics result in even greater morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic disruption, as evidenced by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Respiratory viral infections can lead to the development of acute bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and the exacerbation of chronic lung disorders (acute morbidity). Additionally, there is a growing appreciation that respiratory viral infections often cause persistent disorders following acute disease, both within pulmonary and extrapulmonary organ systems (chronic sequelae), as evidenced by the occurrence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Sun lab has made important discoveries in the mechanisms underlying host acute morbidity and chronic sequelae following respiratory viral infections. Our research has shown that by targeting our body immune system in the lung, we can potentially ameliorate acute morbidity and/or chronic sequelae development following viral infection including COVID-19. The ongoing research in the lab, utilizing both animal models and clinical samples, aims to deepen our understanding of the factors and mechanisms underlying infection-caused acute and chronic diseases, and to develop novel means that can be ultimately translated into new therapy. Additionally, we are interested in understanding the immune system during aging, aiming to develop future effective vaccination and anti-tumor immunotherapy strategies for the elderly.

For the most current list of Sun Lab publications, please see
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/jie.sun.1/bibliography/public/

Follow our latest discovery and news in Twitter: @Jie_Immunology
https://twitter.com/Jie_Immunology


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Associated Sites at UVa

Beirne B. Carter Center For Immunology Research (aka CIC)
Medicine, Infectious Diseases
Immunology Training Grant (ITG)