Lab Members

Dr. Khan is a virologist with extensive experience in cell and molecular biology. His research experience encompasses numerous fields of virology with special emphasis on viral immunology, antiviral research, vaccines, and pathogenesis. He obtained his Ph.D. in 2011 from Jiwaji University, India, working on prophylactic and therapeutic measures against tropical arboviruses such as Dengue and Chikungunya. He then joined the department of medicine, UC, San Diego as a postdoctoral researcher, where he primarily focused on identifying novel mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets of HBV and HCV induced hepatitis. In 2016, he was promoted as Project Scientist and served as a co-investigator for an NIH-funded R01 grant. He has > 25 research articles to his credit and serves as an invited referee for several articles submitted to leading journals in the field of virology. His long term career goal is to develop novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of chronic liver diseases and viral hepatitis.

Mr. Jason Piotrowski graduated from Boston University in 1991 with a BA. In 2000, He graduated from John Hopkins University with an MS in biotechnology. He worked at the National Institute on Aging and the National Cancer Institute before joining the LDB-NIDDK as the lab manager for the Branch.

Dr. Zhensheng Zhang graduated from Fudan University in 1982 with a BA and Henan Medical School in 1989 with a MD/PhD in Virology. Dr. Zhang competed postdoctoral training at MGH/Harvard Medical School in the fields of gene regulation of gastrin and molecular biology of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Dr. Zhang's current research involves the molecular mechanism of HBV infections.

Dr. Seung Bum Park earned his B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Yonsei University in February 2005, his M.Sc. in Immunology from the University of California, Davis, in June 2006, and his Ph.D. in Immunology and Virology from the University of California, Merced, in August 2015. His current research focuses on using a humanized chimeric liver mouse model to study HCV infection dynamics and lipid nanoparticle-mediated HCV RNA delivery.

Ailis Grieshaber graduated from the University of Idaho with a BS in Biochemistry and a minor in Microbiology. For her undergraduate research, she studied the role of innate immune cells in eye injury recovery. She joined the Liver Diseases and Virology section in August 2022 where her current research involves characterization of new SARS CoV-2 antivirals.

Dr. Inuzuka obtained his MD from Kyoto University in 2006. He then received a clinical training as an intern at Kyoto University Hospital and Osaka Red Cross Hospital. He worked as a Physician in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Osaka Red Cross Hospital for 4 years. He received basic research training in molecular and cell biology and virology at Kyoto University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 2016. After winning a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science scholarship, Dr. Inuzuka spent 2 years as a postdoc fellow at National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Japan working on investigation of the relationship between genetic changes and pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus. From 2018, he has worked with Dr. T. Jake Liang at the Liver Diseases Branch of NIDDK, NIH. Dr. Inuzuka’s current research at NIH focuses on understanding host factors associated with hepatitis B virus infection.

Dr. Jaime Sanchez Meza graduated from Autonomous University of Nayarit, Mexico in 2013 with a Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemist degree. Dr. Jaime obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in Medicine at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico in March 2023, where he developed an in vivo model of hepatocarcinogenesis. His current research is developing new therapeutic strategies against the Hepatitis C Virus.

• PhD. Virology, Université Claude Bernard (Lyon)
• MS. Biochemistry, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris)

His work in France, identified the bile acid nuclear receptor, FXR alpha, as a proviral host factor for Hepatitis B Virus in vitro and in vivo. Subsequently, he joined Dr. T. Jake Liang’s team at the NIH to pursue his work on HBV therapeutic development.

Anne Schauer graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Biological Sciences. She worked at NIAMS in 2019 researching systemic lupus and its ties to the STAT4 gene. Her current research in the Liver Disease Branch at NIDDK involves the hepatitis viruses and its replication. Anne plans to pursue her Ph.D. in genetics and immunology.

Dr. Stephenson received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from Georgetown University in 2022. Her dissertation research focused on the replication strategy of Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV), in which she successfully identified the replication start site for the circular HDV genome. She brought her HDV expertise to the Liver Diseases Virology Section, where she continues to work on solving the mysteries of HDV replication and its interaction with the host. Her current research involves creating systems for the high-throughput screening of host gene knockdowns/knockouts against replicating HDV to elucidate which host factors are important for HDV replication.

Ms. Regina Umarova graduated from New Mexico Highlands University with a B.S. in biology in 2014, and University of Texas at El Paso with a M.S. in bioinformatics in 2018. She joined LDB-NIDDK in February 2019 as a Bioinformatics Analyst.

Dr. Zhang’s research focuses on the liver diseases in virology, immunology, cell biology, and therapeutics. She is conducting her current research in the Liver Disease Branch of NIDDK from 2016. Her research involves developing and exploring different genotypes HBV. She also learn to do some research on screening HBV drugs.

Dr. Hae-Gwang Jung graduated from Chosun University with B.S. in Environmental Engineering in 2013. He obtained his M.S. in Microbiology in 2015 from Chosun University and his Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from Yonsei University in 2023. He joined the Liver Diseases Branch of NIDDK, NIH in 2023. His current research focuses on developing a vaccine for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and understanding the paradoxical role of interferon lambda 4 (IFNL4) in HCV infection.

Dr. Mohammad Faraz Alam embarked on his academic journey with a Bachelor's degree in Biosciences from Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, India, followed by a Master's degree in Biotechnology from the University of Hyderabad. He then earned a Ph.D. in Biotechnology, specializing in Virology. His doctoral research focused on elucidating the role of mitochondria in the lifecycle of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus and its implications for neurodegeneration. Dr. Faraz gained further experience as a Project Scientist-1 in the Neuropathology Department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he joined Dr. T. Jake Liang’s research team as a Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow in the Liver Disease Branch of the NIDDK at the National Institutes of Health. In his current role, he investigates novel interacting partners of the Hepatitis B Virus “e” protein (HBe) to explore new therapeutic avenues against HBV. In addition to his work on HBV, Dr. Faraz is also exploring the efficacy of various antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Elizabeth received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Purchase College, SUNY in 2021. Following graduation, she was selected for the Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO) postbaccalaureate program, where she completed a 2-year fellowship in the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at NIAID. Currently, Elizabeth is pursuing a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology through the NIH-Georgetown University Graduate Partnerships Program. Her research focuses on characterizing and developing therapeutics against Hepatitis C Virus.