Luis Schang

About

Luis Schang is a Professor of Chemical Virology at the Baker Institute for Animal Health within the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. His research focuses on molecular virology, specifically on the interactions between viruses and cells that determine infection outcomes and pathogenicity. He is particularly interested in identifying commonalities among unrelated viruses by discovering small molecules that inhibit their infectivity or replication, which serve as probes to understand viral mechanisms and as potential antivirals. His work has led to the identification of broad-spectrum antiviral compounds with novel targets and mechanisms, including the first antiviral molecules targeting virion envelope lipids. His research encompasses viral entry, egress, and the epigenetic regulation of viral replication and pathogenesis, with a focus on pathogens such as herpes simplex virus, hepatitis C virus, influenza A virus, and emerging viruses like Zika virus. Dr. Schang's background includes a veterinary degree from the National University of Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. His professional experience spans positions at the University of Alberta, where he was an Assistant, Associate, and then Professor of Biochemistry, with cross-appointments in Microbiology and Immunology, and membership in several research groups and institutes. Since 2016, he has been a tenured Professor of Chemical Virology at Cornell University. His notable…

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Law
• Economics
• Demography
• Geography
• Econometrics
• Pathology
• Mathematics
• Statistics

Selected publications

• Patterns of the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world: exponential versus power laws

  Journal of The Royal Society Interface · 2020 · 87 citations

  We have analysed the COVID-19 epidemic data of more than 174 countries (excluding China) in the period between 22 January and 28 March 2020. We found that some countries (such as the USA, the UK and Canada) follow an exponential epidemic growth, while others (like Italy and several other European countries) show a power law like growth. Regardless of the best fitting law, many countries can be shown to follow a common trajectory that is similar to Italy (the epicentre at the time of analysis), b…

  PublisherDOI

• Chromatin-mediated epigenetic regulation of HSV-1 transcription as a potential target in antiviral therapy

  Antiviral Research · 2021-05-31 · 22 citations

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The ability to establish, and reactivate from, latent infections is central to the biology and pathogenesis of HSV-1. It also poses a strong challenge to antiviral therapy, as latent HSV-1 genomes do not replicate or express any protein to be targeted. Although the processes regulating the establishment and maintenance of, and reactivation from, latency are not fully elucidated, the current general consensus is that epigenetics play a major role. A unifying model postulates that whereas HSV-1 av…

  PublisherDOI

• Patterns of the COVID19 pandemic spread around the world: exponential vs power laws

  medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2020 · 21 citations

  Abstract We have analyzed the COVID19 epidemic data of more than 174 countries (excluding China) in the period between January 22 and March 28, 2020. We found that some countries (such as the US, the UK, and Canada) follow an exponential epidemic growth, while others (like Italy and several other European countries) show a power law like growth. Regardless of the best fitting law, many countries can be shown to follow a common trajectory that is similar to Italy (the epicenter at the time of ana…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Virology under the Microscope—a Call for Rational Discourse

  Journal of Virology · 2023 · 20 citations

  Viruses have brought humanity many challenges: respiratory infection, cancer, neurological impairment and immunosuppression to name a few. Virology research over the last 60+ years has responded to reduce this disease burden with vaccines and antivirals. Despite this long history, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to the field of virology. Some of this attention is focused on concern about the safe conduct of research with human pathogens. A small but vocal group of indiv…

  PublisherDOI

• Meeting report: 35th International Conference on Antiviral Research in Seattle, Washington, USA – March 21–25, 2022

  Antiviral Research · 2022-12-31 · 13 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Chromatin dynamics in the regulation of herpes simplex virus 1 gene expression.

  NIH · $1.9M · 2020–2025

• Ménage à trois - Zika virus, DNA damage responses and microcephaly; is PNKP the molecular link?

  NIH · $432k · 2019–2022

Frequent coauthors

• Dominik Wodarz

  University of California, San Diego

  23 shared

• Nathanael S. Gray

  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

  21 shared

• Daniel P. Depledge

  Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

  16 shared

• Priscilla A. Schaffer

  Rush University Medical Center

  15 shared

• Natalia L. Komarova

  13 shared

• David Durantel

  Inserm

  12 shared

• Andrew Bantly

  University of Pennsylvania

  11 shared

• MiYao Hu

  University of Alberta

  11 shared

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Microbiology

  University of Pennsylvania

  2000

• Research Associate, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  1996

• PhD, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  1995

• MV, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

  Universidad de Buenos Aires

  1987

Awards & honors

• Joseph J. Garbarino Achievement award, Animal Health Institu…
• New Investigator Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Resear…
• AHFMR Scholar Award, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical…
• Burroughs-Welcome Fund Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infec…
• McCalla Professorship, University of Alberta (2007)

Similar researchers at Cornell University

• Satoshi Kimurah-76
• Gary Whittakerh-73
• Douglas Antczakh-57