Ju-Tao Guo, MD, globally recognized expert in hepatitis B virology, will lead the Pennsylvania nonprofit research organization.
Ju-Tao Guo, MD, a leading expert in hepatitis B virology, was named president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute by its Board of Directors on Oct. 18.
Louis P. Kassa III, MPA, CEO of the Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation and Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), said: “Dr. Guo has been acting president for the past year, and in that time has worked to strategically structure and strengthen the Institute. He is an accomplished and recognized leader in his field, and we are extremely fortunate to have him accept this vital role.”
A resident of Lansdale, Dr. Guo also is chief scientific officer and W. Thomas London Professor at the Blumberg Institute. He joined the organization in 2015 after more than a decade as a faculty at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine.
Dr. Guo received medical training in Lanzhou University School of Medicine in China and postdoctoral training with Dr. Christoph Seeger at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Dr. Guo has been working on molecular virology, innate immunology and antiviral drug discovery in the past 40 years. He has published more than 150 research papers, reviews and commentaries in peer-reviewed journals and holds 10 patents. His laboratory identified key cellular proteins involved in the biosynthesis of HBV cccDNA, revealed the critical role of capsid protein dynamic phosphorylation in nucleocapsid assembly and discovered several novel chemotypes of small molecular HBV capsid assembly modulators (CAMs). One of those compounds was advanced to clinical trial.
Dr. Guo’s laboratory also pioneered the genetic screening of interferon induced antiviral proteins and uncovered their antiviral mechanisms against hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, flaviviruses and human coronaviruses. Interestingly, his team also found that human coronavirus OC43 hijacks interferon induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) to facilitate its entry into host cells.
Dr. Guo’s current research is focused on the investigation of HBV replication mechanism and discovery of therapeutics that can eliminate cccDNA or induce the degradation of HBV capsid or envelope proteins for the cure of chronic hepatitis B.
About the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute: An independent, nonprofit research organization, the Blumberg Institute was launched in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation to advance its research mission. Today, the Institute is a leading center for translational research in hepatitis B, liver cancer and related diseases. Our scientists primarily focus on understanding the pathobiology of hepatitis B virus and related diseases, developing diagnostics for early detection of liver cancer and therapeutics for the cure of chronic hepatitis B. Their research extends to investigating other RNA viruses causing hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever and developing antiviral drugs and immune modulators to treat these viral diseases. The Institute’s faculty members have expertise in virology, immunology, cancer biology, chemistry and drug development. The Blumberg Institute’s labs and offices are in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), which it manages, in Doylestown, Pa. The Institute also runs a state-of-the-art incubator in Philadelphia, B+labs at Cira Centre, which is a partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust. Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and X, @BlumbergInstit1.
Ju-Tao Guo, MD, globally recognized expert in hepatitis B virology, will lead the Pennsylvania nonprofit research organization.
Ju-Tao Guo, MD, a leading expert in hepatitis B virology, was named president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute by its Board of Directors on Oct. 18.
Louis P. Kassa III, MPA, CEO of the Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation and Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), said: “Dr. Guo has been acting president for the past year, and in that time has worked to strategically structure and strengthen the Institute. He is an accomplished and recognized leader in his field, and we are extremely fortunate to have him accept this vital role.”
A resident of Lansdale, Dr. Guo also is chief scientific officer and W. Thomas London Professor at the Blumberg Institute. He joined the organization in 2015 after more than a decade as a faculty at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine.
Dr. Guo received medical training in Lanzhou University School of Medicine in China and postdoctoral training with Dr. Christoph Seeger at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.
Dr. Guo has been working on molecular virology, innate immunology and antiviral drug discovery in the past 40 years. He has published more than 150 research papers, reviews and commentaries in peer-reviewed journals and holds 10 patents. His laboratory identified key cellular proteins involved in the biosynthesis of HBV cccDNA, revealed the critical role of capsid protein dynamic phosphorylation in nucleocapsid assembly and discovered several novel chemotypes of small molecular HBV capsid assembly modulators (CAMs). One of those compounds was advanced to clinical trial.
Dr. Guo’s laboratory also pioneered the genetic screening of interferon induced antiviral proteins and uncovered their antiviral mechanisms against hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, flaviviruses and human coronaviruses. Interestingly, his team also found that human coronavirus OC43 hijacks interferon induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) to facilitate its entry into host cells.
Dr. Guo’s current research is focused on the investigation of HBV replication mechanism and discovery of therapeutics that can eliminate cccDNA or induce the degradation of HBV capsid or envelope proteins for the cure of chronic hepatitis B.
About the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute: An independent, nonprofit research organization, the Blumberg Institute was launched in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation to advance its research mission. Today, the Institute is a leading center for translational research in hepatitis B, liver cancer and related diseases. Our scientists primarily focus on understanding the pathobiology of hepatitis B virus and related diseases, developing diagnostics for early detection of liver cancer and therapeutics for the cure of chronic hepatitis B. Their research extends to investigating other RNA viruses causing hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever and developing antiviral drugs and immune modulators to treat these viral diseases. The Institute’s faculty members have expertise in virology, immunology, cancer biology, chemistry and drug development. The Blumberg Institute’s labs and offices are in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), which it manages, in Doylestown, Pa. The Institute also runs a state-of-the-art incubator in Philadelphia, B+labs at Cira Centre, which is a partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust. Visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and X, @BlumbergInstit1.