About
Dr. Peng obtained her doctorate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from Clemson University. She is specialized in the design, biosynthesis, and purification of biomolecules and apply them to therapeutical, diagnosis, and scaffolding purposes. Her work in antimalarial medicine and antifungal drug resistance has earned her recognition by multiple international peers. She oversees the technical development of molecular diagnostics in the Research and Education on Disease Diagnosis and Intervention (REDDI) lab. Dr. Peng’s research centers on the molecular basics of nucleic acids and proteins, and their dynamics under pathological conditions. Such understandings can be applied to disease prevention, diagnostics, and treatments. A strong advocate for multi-disciplinary research, she is supported by NIH, Prisma Health, the Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for Translational Research Improving Musculoskeletal Health (SC-TRIMH), and COBRE in Human Genetics. Her work is at the interface of Bioengineering, Genetics and Biochemistry, Prisma Health, Public Health Sciences, Materials and Engineering, and Physics.
Visit Dr. Peng's Department Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
Dr. Peng’s research is aimed to transform health care through providing accurate diagnosis, better cure, and easy to access preventative measures. Her efforts include the exploiting of molecular techniques for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 and the emerging variants, establishing whole genome sequencing for genomic epidemiology surveillance, and assessing immune responses through surrogate virus neutralization test. Her experiences on whole genome sequencing have landed her a collaborative opportunity to investigate the splicing isoforms of long noncoding RNA in triple negative breast cancer tissues and blood samples. Dr. Peng and her research team aim to identify potential biomarkers that are associated with the prognosis of triple negative breast cancer. She has taken several innovative initiatives to unravel the association of respiratory pathogens and oral microbiome and develop protein delivery and cell therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Molecular diagnostics, biomarker, immune profiling, biomolecules, antimicrobial medicine, cell therapy
