Yohannes Mebratu
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine
Academic information
- Department: Internal Medicine
Research interests
- Airway epithelial cell biology in chronic lung diseases
- Respiratory viral infections and lung inflammation
- The role of host cellular proteins in promoting influenza A virus replication and disease severity
- Host responses and host cellular proteins in SARS-CoV-2 virus replication and pathogenesis
About
Biography
My research program focuses on identification of novel mechanisms how influenza A virus (IAV) hijack and subvert host cellular processes to facilitate viral replication since this information will be useful in developing therapeutic host targets to treat the disease. My lab is particularly interested to study how IAVs exploits host cellular proteins to promote their pathogenesis, identify genetic factors contributing to influenza disease severity, and identify host cellular targets of treatments. Our research utilizes both basic and translational models of infectious/inflammatory lung diseases. We also use influenza-infected human cohorts from diverse ancestral background to identify genetic factors contributing to disease severity. These studies may identify host cellular targets for the treatment of influenza infections and will have potential implications for targeted prevention, disease management, and treatment based on susceptibility factors.
Credentials
Education
- PhD - Molecular Epidemiology
- Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Research
Research interests
- Airway epithelial cell biology in chronic lung diseases
- Respiratory viral infections and lung inflammation
- The role of host cellular proteins in promoting influenza A virus replication and disease severity
- Host responses and host cellular proteins in SARS-CoV-2 virus replication and pathogenesis
Honors and awards
- MS Scholarship: German Catholic Academic Exchange Program, 1996
- PhD Scholarship: German Catholic Academic Exchange Program, 2002
- American Thoracic Society Scholarship Award: ATS, 2008
Professional activities
- Society Member, American Thoracic Society (2006 – present)
- Society Member, American Heart Association (2011-2013)
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (2017-2019)