University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · Microbiology & ImmunologyKSHV and Cancer Research Unit
Shou-Jiang Gao · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Shou-Jiang Gao's lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on understanding how the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) causes cancer, particularly in the context of HIV infection. The research spans various aspects, including how KSHV alters metabolic processes in infected cells and how the microbiome influences the development of AIDS-related cancers like Kaposi's sarcoma. By exploring these mechanisms, the lab aims to discover new therapeutic targets and improve treatment outcomes for patients.
KSHVKaposi's sarcomamicrobiotametabolismAIDScancerepitranscriptomicscellular transformationtherapeutic targets
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate how KSHV manipulates metabolic pathways to enhance its replication and survival.
AIM 02Examine the impact of microbiota on the development of Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS patients.
AIM 03Identify novel therapeutic targets by understanding the metabolic needs of KSHV-infected cells.
AIM 04Create a genetic model for KSHV infection to study cellular transformation mechanisms.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsmetabolic profilinggenetic manipulation techniquesflow cytometryproteomicsRNA sequencingbioinformaticsmachine learning applied to biology
Output against the department
Publications320top 14% of dept.70th of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations17ktop 22% of dept.108th of 486
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.