Dr. Anthony Leung

Biography

Anthony Leung is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research specializes in gene regulation and its impacts on disease states such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and viral infections. Recent work has focused on noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, and microRNAs, as well as druggable protein modifications, particularly poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors that are currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple cancers. This therapeutically important modification is often understudied, contributing to an inadequate understanding of its role due to a lack of tools. Dr. Leung and his team are dedicated to inventing tools that investigate protein modification and discover the roles of RNA processes in RNA virus infections and the formation of membrane-less organelles. To dissect these underlying mechanisms, his team employs a range of multi-disciplinary techniques, including chemical probe synthesis, single-molecule biophysical measurements, quantitative imaging, informatics, genomics, and proteomics approaches. The research conducted within his laboratory is highly collaborative, leveraging expertise from both within the lab and across the university and the world, with the ultimate goal of translating multi-dimensional scientific findings into therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Research Interests