Microbial evolution and bioinformatics – Using state-of-the-art genetic engineering and bioinformatics to reveal the community dynamics of the microbiome (bacteriome, mycobiome and virome) in human diseases.

Human micro-pathogens in cancer – Using integrative analysis of host-microbiota interactions and in-vitro & in-vivo models to elucidate the causal potential of carcinogenic micro-pathogens in upper aerodigestive tract malignancy.

Emerging respiratory tract infection – Using molecular evolution and multi-omics approaches to understand the genomic heterogenicity and pathogenesis of emerging respiratory infections including COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and bacterial pneumonia.

Understanding evolution of disease-causing microorganisms is the foundation of what we know about origin and adaptation of pathogens to a changing environment. It helps us solve biological problems that impact our health. My laboratory mainly focuses on the carcinogenic potential of tumor bacteria and virus in light of genomic evidence and evolutionary theories. This has been a very successful area delivering fruitful contributions in understanding the heterogeneity and oncogenicity of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in cervical cancer and oral cancer. Translational research on human microbiome in upper aerodigestive tract cancers using multi-omics approaches represents an increasing extension of our interests, which yields valuable insight into the complex host-microbiota interactions for clinical management and therapeutic intervention. We are actively involving in a multidisciplinary research team on different aspect of human microbiome and diseases, including the emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and Influenza.