Jean Lab - Principal Investigator

FRANÇOIS JEAN, PH.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Scientific Director, Facility for Infectious Disease and Epidemic Research (FINDER) (2008-current)
Team Leader, CIHR Team Grant in Functional Infectomics of Influenza A Virus (2008-2011)
Founder and Scientific Advisor, Rising Stars of Research (2008-2010)

B.Sc., Université de Montréal (1988); M.Sc., Clinical Research Institute of Montréal (1991); Ph.D., Clinical Research Institute of Montréal (1995); MRC Postdoctoral, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University (1995-99)

Email: fjean[at]mail.ubc.ca
http://community.frontiersin.org/people/FrancoisJean/52310
www.finder.ubc.ca
Office Telephone: 604-822-0256
Lab Telephone: 604-822-0036
Fax: 604-822-6041

Address:
Room 3559
2350 Health Sciences Mall
Life Sciences Centre
Vancouver, BC
Canada
V6T 1Z3

JEAN LAB:  RESEARCH and DISCOVERY (2012)

UBC Media Release – Jean Lab/Discovery News
March 29, 2012
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2012/03/29/ubc-researchers-identify-genetic-regulators-hijacked-by-avian-and-swine-flu-viruses-during-human-infection/

Michael Smith Foundation of Health Research (MSFHR) Media Release
January 16, 2012
http://www.msfhr.org/news/news_blog/2012/01/HCV

UBC Media Release – Jean Lab/Discovery News
January 5, 2012
http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2012/01/05/ubc-researchers-identify-potential-new-therapy-approach-for-hepatitis-c-that-could-benefit-170-million-people-affected-worldwide/

SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCH

Background: It is now well established that hijacking of host-cell biosynthetic pathways by human enveloped viruses is a shared molecular event essential for the viral life cycle. The next frontier is identifying the specific and common critical host-cell pathways that are hijacked by those pathogenic human viruses of great concern around the world. This will enable development of global antiviral strategies that will catalyze the creation of therapeutics with novel mechanisms of action that target critical host components that are essential to infection and disease. Developing novel host-directed therapeutic agents will have a dramatic impact globally by providing desperately needed broad-spectrum therapeutics against drug-resistant viruses that are continuously eroding the therapeutic armamentarium, leaving fewer or no alternative antiviral agents available.

Objectives: The research programs of my laboratory are based on my breakthroughs in the field of broad-based antiviral therapeutics (Senior, K., 2000. Early steps towards a broad-based antiviral drug. The Lancet 355: 729). My lab is exploring in detail how our novel therapeutic approaches can combat human viral infections using our recently identified protein-based inhibitors directed at those host-cell proteases and viral proteases that are essential for the virus life cycle. I am now expanding the scope of my research to include our newly discovered marine natural products, natural broad-spectrum antiviral peptides, and therapeutic microRNAs. My team is developing and applying novel efficacious broad-based antiviral agents against important human enveloped viruses of major public health concern in Canada and around the world [e.g., hepatitis C virus (HCV), West Nile virus (WNV), dengue virus (DNV), HIV-1, and influenza A virus (InfA)]. My research programs are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and infrastructure funds from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF).

Impact: The results of my research programs have allowed my team (i) to generate new antiviral agents for dissecting the biological functions of viral and host-cell enzymes necessary for the virus replication and life cycle, (ii) to define the biological impact of new classes of antiviral agents on viral infection and disease, (iii) to discover new exosome-associated biomarkers for viral diseases, and (iv) to provide insights into new therapeutic avenues for treating and diagnosing important viral diseases such as hepatitis C, epidemic viral encephalitis, AIDS, and infectious respiratory diseases.

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS  -> READ MORE

Facility for Infectious Disease and Epidemic Research  (FINDER)
-> www.finder.ubc.ca

FINDER – News and Views
-> http://research.ubc.ca/node/757

TEACHING

Syllabus MICB 406 (Advanced Topics in Molecular Virology)-> READ MORE

MICB 406 Course Overview (Spring 2013): PDF document

NEW Dr. F. Jean’s Teaching Philosophy (2013) -> PDF document

AWARDS

UBC Science Achievement Award (2010).

Fisher Scientific Award recipient (2003) [Canadian Society of Microbiologists (CSM)].

CIHR/Health Canada Research Initiative on Hepatitis C New Investigator Award (2000-2005)

Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies Early Career UBC Award (2000-2001)

CIHR PEER REVIEW COMMITTEES

Member of the CIHR Virology and Viral Pathogenesis Committee

Member of the CIHR Pandemic Preparedness Committee

OUTREACH

Founder and scientific advisor of Rising Stars of Research, National Undergraduate Science Research Poster Competition, (2008-2010).
www.risingstars.ubc.ca