Jianming Qiu, PhD

Professional Background

Dr. Qiu graduated from the School of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University (previous Zhejiang Agriculture University) with a bachelor degree in veterinary medicine and a master degree in animal biochemistry and physiology. Dr. Qiu obtained his Ph.D. in medical immunology at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).

Dr. Qiu received postdoctoral training in molecular virology at the Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, and the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri-Columbia, US.

Now, Dr. Qiu is a Professor in virology at the Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.

• BS, Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
• MS, Biochemistry, College of Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
• PhD, Molecular Virology, Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine (Currently Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Beijing, China
• Other, Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO

Research

Overview

Parvoviruses contain a small linear single-stranded DNA genome between 4.5-5.5 kb in length that has palindromic hairpin termini which serve as the origins of DNA replication. The viral genome is encapsidated within a non-enveloped, icosahedral virion, approximately 20 nm in diameter.

Parvoviruses that infect humans are 1) Human parvovirus B19 (B19V), which is the etiological agent of the fifth disease in children, several hematological disorders, including aplastic crisis and pure read cell aplasia, and hydrops fetalis in pregnant women; 2) Human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) that causes lower respiratory tract infections in young children; and 3) Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), which are non-pathogenic to humans and used as vectors for human gene therapy.

Qiu lab focuses on studying human parvoviruses B19V, HBoV1, and AAVs. The lab has chosen to investigate how these human parvoviruses utilize cellular DNA replication and DNA repair mechanisms for their DNA replication, how the viral genes are transcribed, processed, and translated to govern the production of progeny virions, and, for B19V and HBoV1, how the viral infections initiate, subvert the cellular defense mechanism, and eventually kill the infected cells. These fundamental studies will help understand the pathogenesis of human parvovirus infection, which will lead to identifying novel targets for the development of antiviral drugs to control viral infection and will also help to develop better parvoviral vectors for human gene therapy. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we modulate SARS-CoV-2 infection of human airway epithelia and identify anti-virals.

Current ongoing projects:
1. Development of recombinant AAV and HBoV1 vectors for gene delivery into human airways.
2. Study of human virus infection in human airway epithelia.
3. Understanding molecular mechanisms of virus infection in human erythroid progenitors.