Xiang-Jin Meng

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Xiang-Jin Meng, also known as X.J. Meng, [1] is a Chinese-born American virologist. He is a university distinguished professor at Virginia Tech. [2] [3] He studies emerging, re-emerging and zoonotic viruses of veterinary and human public health significance. [4] He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016, [4] a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2014, [4] a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2012, [4] and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. [5]

Contents

Xiang-Jin Meng
Born
Shandong Province, China
Alma materBinzhou Medical College

Wuhan University College of Medicine (Hubei Medical College)

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Occupation(s)University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech
AwardsFellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2022)

Member, National Academy of Sciences (2016)

Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2014)

Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (2012)
Website http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/research/labs/meng/

Early life and education

Meng grew up in Gaomi, Shandong Province, China. [6] He originally planned to pursue a career in chemical engineering, [6] but instead he enrolled in Binzhou Medical College in 1980 as a medical student. [6]

Receiving his medical degree in 1985, Meng studied at the Wuhan University College of Medicine (formerly Hubei Medical College) and earned a Master's degree in Microbiology and Immunology. [6] There, he discovered his passion and curiosity for virology, under the supervision of his graduate advisor, Yu Sun, who was an experimental virologist and pathologist. [6] Earning his Master's in 1988, Meng worked as a research fellow for three years at the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences in Jinan.

In 1991, he was admitted to the interdepartmental Immunobiology graduate program at the Iowa State University. [6] His PhD dissertation focused on an emerging virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, in the laboratory of Prem S. Paul. [7] After receiving his PhD in Immunobiology, he joined the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases as a John E. Fogarty Visiting Scientist and later as a Senior Staff Fellow [2] [4] in the labs of Suzanne U. Emerson and Robert H. Purcell at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

Career and research

Meng joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in 1999 as an Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology, and rose to the rank of full professor in 2007. [2] [8] He was named a university distinguished professor in 2013. [2] In July 2020, Meng was appointed as the founding director of the Virginia Tech Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP). [9] From November 2021 to November 2022, Meng served as Interim Executive Director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech. [10]

His research mainly focuses on understanding the mechanism of virus replication and pathogenesis, defining the mechanisms of cross-species virus infection, and developing effective vaccines against emerging and zoonotic viruses. [4] Meng's group discovered the swine hepatitis E virus from pigs and avian hepatitis E virus from chickens, which eventually lead to the recognition of human hepatitis E as a zoonotic disease. [4] Meng's research also led to the invention of the first U.S. Department of Agriculture fully-license commercial vaccine, currently on the global market, against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and its associated diseases. [6] [11] Additionally, Meng works on a number of other important viruses including Hepatitis E virus, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Torque Teno Sus Virus, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus. [12] [13]

Meng has authored and co-authored more than 359 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, [12] which have been cited for more than 36,183 times with a h-index of 99. [1] He is ranked in the top 1% highly cited scientists in the field of microbiology (1997–2007) by Thomson Scientific's Essential Science Indicators. [14] Meng is an inventor of more than 20 U.S. patent awards on viral vaccines and diagnostics. [15]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

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Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold, while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19, which is causing the ongoing pandemic. In cows and pigs they cause diarrhea, while in mice they cause hepatitis and encephalomyelitis.

<i>Henipavirus</i> Genus of RNA viruses

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<i>Adenoviridae</i> Family of viruses

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swine influenza</span> Infection caused by influenza viruses endemic to pigs

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Porcine circoviral disease (PCVD), also known as porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), is a disease seen in domestic pigs. This disease causes illness in piglets, with clinical signs including progressive loss of body condition, visibly enlarged lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes diarrhea, pale skin, and jaundice. PCVD is very damaging to the pig-producing industry and has been reported worldwide. PCVD is caused by Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2).

Betaarterivirus suid 1, commonly Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), is a virus that causes a disease of pigs, called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), also known as blue-ear pig disease. This economically important, panzootic disease causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs.

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Porcine circovirus (PCV) is a group of four single-stranded DNA viruses that are non-enveloped with an unsegmented circular genome. They are members of the genus Circovirus that can infect pigs. The viral capsid is icosahedral and approximately 17 nm in diameter.

<i>Murine coronavirus</i> Species of virus

Murine coronavirus (M-CoV) is a virus in the genus Betacoronavirus that infects mice. Belonging to the subgenus Embecovirus, murine coronavirus strains are enterotropic or polytropic. Enterotropic strains include mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strains D, Y, RI, and DVIM, whereas polytropic strains, such as JHM and A59, primarily cause hepatitis, enteritis, and encephalitis. Murine coronavirus is an important pathogen in the laboratory mouse and the laboratory rat. It is the most studied coronavirus in animals other than humans, and has been used as an animal disease model for many virological and clinical studies.

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References

  1. 1 2 "X.J. Meng - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology". Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine (www.vetmed.vt.edu). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  3. ↑ "University Distinguished Professors". Virginia Tech Office of the President. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Xiang-Jin Meng". National Academy of Sciences (www.nasonline.org). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  5. 1 2 "American Association for the Advancement of Science honors X.J. Meng as Lifetime Fellow". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Viegas, Jennifer (2017-07-03). "Profile of Xiang-Jin Meng". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (28): 7188–7190. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710342114 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   5514775 . PMID   28673980.
  7. ↑ "University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology X.J. Meng recognized by Iowa State University". Virginia Tech News. February 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tech professor searches for hepatitis vaccine". Roanoke Times. Mar 12, 2008. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  9. ↑ "Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens to tackle infectious diseases". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  10. ↑ "X.J. Meng named interim executive director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  11. ↑ "Professor develops vaccine for pigs". USA Today. 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  12. 1 2 "Meng Laboratory". Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine (www.vetmed.vt.edu). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  13. ↑ "TWiV 285: Hokies go viral". This Week in Virology Podcast. December 2015. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  14. ↑ "X.J. Meng". ScienceWatch - Tracking Trends & Performance in Basic Research. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  15. 1 2 "Veterinary college's X.J. Meng elected to the National Academy of Inventors". Virginia Tech. December 17, 2014. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  16. ↑ "Innovating around complex problems". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  17. ↑ "Virginia Tech Daily". Virginia Tech News. February 19, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  18. ↑ "Virginia Tech's X.J. Meng earns SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award". Virginia Tech News. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  19. ↑ "State Council of Higher Education for Virginia". Dec 16, 2016. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  20. ↑ "Virginia Tech's X.J. Meng elected to the National Academy of Sciences". Virginia Tech. May 4, 2016. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  21. ↑ "National Academy of Inventors Names 170 New Fellows". National Academy of Inventors. Dec 16, 2014. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  22. ↑ "Veterinary college's X.J. Meng honored as University Distinguished Professor". Virginia Tech. June 4, 2013. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  23. ↑ "X.J. Meng elected to the American Academy of Microbiology". Virginia Tech. March 20, 2012. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
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