University of California-Davis · BiologyGong Lab
Qizhi Gong · Davis, California
Research Focus
Dr. Qizhi Gong's lab at UC Davis is focused on understanding how the COVID-19 virus affects the sense of smell, particularly through its impact on specific cells in the olfactory epithelium. The lab investigates the role of sustentacular cells in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, seeking to unravel why some people experience a loss of smell as a symptom of COVID-19. By exploring these cellular interactions and inflammatory responses, the research aims to provide deeper insights into olfactory dysfunction caused by viral infections.
SARS-CoV-2olfactory epitheliuminnate immune responseCOVID-19anosmiacell cultureinflammationcytokinesolfactory dysfunction
Research Aims
5AIM 01Characterize inflammatory responses in sustentacular cells to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
AIM 02Establish a primary cell culture system to study these cells' responses.
AIM 03Identify specific cytokine expressions involved in the immune response.
AIM 04Examine how viral infection affects the function of olfactory sensory neurons.
AIM 05Provide mechanistic insights into the link between COVID-19 and olfactory dysfunction.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureprimary cell extractionRNA sequencingimmunofluorescencemouse modelsfluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)transcription factor analysisCytokine assayssignal transduction pathways
Output against the department
Publications46bottom 10% of dept.927th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.7kbottom 11% of dept.917th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.