Prof. Lung-Ji Chang | Gene Therapy | Research Excellence Award

Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute | China

Prof. Lung-Ji Chang is a distinguished molecular microbiologist, immunologist, and gene-therapy pioneer whose career spans major contributions across leading research institutes in North America and Asia. He currently serves as President of the Shenzhen Geno-Immune Medical Institute in China, guiding cutting-edge innovation in immuno-gene therapy and clinical translation. Before this role, he held a professorship at the School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology in Sichuan, where he further expanded collaborative research in medical biotechnology. His scientific foundation was built through extensive service at the University of Florida, where he progressed through the ranks of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the Powell Gene Therapy Center and the McKnight Brain Institute, eventually holding a tenured professorship and significantly contributing to the UF Health Cancer Center. His earlier academic appointments at the University of Alberta in Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases reflect his broad expertise in virology, host–pathogen interactions, and translational therapeutics. Prior to his faculty leadership, he advanced molecular virology research as a Visiting Scholar at the National Institutes of Health in the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and previously conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco in Microbiology and Immunology, shaping his foundational approach to virus-host biology.Prof. Chang has led an extensive portfolio of research funded by numerous prestigious agencies and foundations. His projects include Isolation of Human cDNA Encoding for HIV Attachment and Penetration Factors, Characterization of Host Factors Essential for HIV Entry, Molecular Design and Testing of Anti-HIV Mega-Ribozymes, Development of Retroviral Delivery Systems for Anti-HIV Gene Therapy, Anti-Tumor Immuno-Gene Therapy, Study of HIV-Specific Cellular Responses in High-Risk Seronegative Individuals, Development of Human Tumor Models for Combined Immuno-Gene Therapy, Combination Immunogene Therapy for Brain and Skin Cancer, Development of Lentiviral Vectors, Lentiviral Gene Transfer in Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Multiple Myeloma-Targeting Immunotherapy, Transdifferentiation of Hepatocytes into Insulin-Producing Cells, Immunotherapy for Tumor and Viral Diseases Using Modified Lymphocytes, Mechanisms of Autoimmunity in Hepatocyte-Derived Endocrine Cells, Molecular Mechanisms of Leiomyoma Growth and Regression, Immunotherapy for Leukemia, Stem and Progenitor Cell Protection for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Immune Cell Therapy Targeting Malignancies, Generation of Pancreatic Beta-Cells from Patient-Specific iPS Cells, Combined CCR5∆32 and siRNA Strategy Against HIV, Immunotherapy Targeting Small Cell Lung Cancer, Vascular Injury Signaling Pathways, Mechanisms of Autoantibody Pathogenesis, Peripheral Clock Dysregulation in Metabolic Disorders, Team-Science Immunotherapy Approaches for Liver Cancer, Innovative T-Cell Receptor Engineering, and Engineered T-Cell Targeting Strategies for Lung Cancer.Across his career, Prof. Chang has been widely recognized for advancing genetic engineering, lentiviral vector development, cancer immunotherapy, HIV research, and translational cell-based therapeutics. His work continues to influence global biomedical research, driving innovations that bridge molecular discoveries with real-world clinical impact.

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Featured Publications

Chang, L.-J., Urlacher, V., Iwakuma, T., Cui, Y., & Zucali, J. (1999). Efficacy and safety analyses of a recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 derived vector system. Gene Therapy, 6(5), 715–728.

Iwakuma, T., Cui, Y., & Chang, L.-J. (1999). Self-inactivating lentiviral vectors with U3 and U5 modifications. Virology, 261(1), 120–132.

Moreb, J. S., Ucar, D., Han, S., Amory, J. K., Goldstein, A. S., Ostmark, B., & Chang, L.-J. (2012). The enzymatic activity of human aldehyde dehydrogenases 1A2 and 2 (ALDH1A2 and ALDH2) is detected by Aldefluor, inhibited by diethylaminobenzaldehyde and has significant biological relevance. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 195(1), 52–60.

Higashikawa, F., & Chang, L.-J. (2001). Kinetic analyses of stability of simple and complex retroviral vectors. Virology, 280(1), 124–131.

Moreb, J. S., Baker, H. V., Chang, L.-J., Amaya, M., Lopez, M. C., Ostmark, B., & Chou, W. (2008). ALDH isozymes downregulation affects cell growth, cell motility and gene expression in lung cancer cells. Molecular Cancer, 7(1), Article 87.

Amendt, B. A., Hesslein, D., Chang, L.-J., & Stoltzfus, C. M. (1994). Presence of negative and positive cis-acting RNA splicing elements within and flanking the first tat coding exon of human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 14(6), 3960–3970.

Zaiss, A. K., Son, S., & Chang, L.-J. (2002). RNA 3′ readthrough of oncoretrovirus and lentivirus: implications for vector safety and efficacy. Journal of Virology, 76(14), 7209–7219.