Feng Lab Staff
Zongdi Feng, PhD
Principal Investigator
Zongdi.Feng@NationwideChildrens.org
Zongdi Feng, PhD, became an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University and a member of the Center for Microbe and Immunity Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2014. Dr. Feng received his doctorate from the University of Illinois in 2008 and undertook postdoctoral training on the immune responses and pathogenesis associated with hepatitis viruses with Dr. Stan Lemon at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Dr. Feng’s research mainly focuses on the life cycle and pathogenesis of hepatitis viruses. Previous studies by Dr. Feng have shown that hepatitis A virus (traditionally thought to be nonenveloped) hijacks host membranes to evade antibody response and facilitate its spread (Nature. 496: 367-71). A similar phenomenon exists for hepatitis E virus (Trends Microbiol. 22:59-64), an emerging agent that causes high mortality (up to 28%) in pregnant women and often develops into persistent infection in immunosuppressed individuals. These novel “quasi-enveloped” viruses create a new paradigm in virology and provide novel insights into immunity and vaccination strategies. Projects are focused on understanding how these “quasi-enveloped” viruses (1) structurally differ from their nonenveloped counterparts, (2) enter and exit the cells, (3) become neutralized by antibodies, and (4) interact with “non-permissive” cells.
Olivia Howell
Senior Research Associate
Olivia.Howell@NationwideChildrens.org
Olivia received her master’s degree in biology from the University of Alabama in 2020 in the lab of Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan where she studied phage counter-defense mechanisms in staphylococcal species. In June 2024, she joined the Feng Lab and is currently investigating the role of HEV ORF3 in viral egress and mechanisms by which neutralizing antibodies modulate eHEV-mediated spread.
Alison Francois
Postdoctoral Scientist
Alison.Francois@NationwideChildrens.org
Alison earned a first class MBiochem degree from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 2017, during which she spent a year conducting research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She obtained her doctorate in microbiology from the University of Virginia in 2024, where she studied herpes simplex virus epigenetics. Alison joined the Feng Lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral scientist. Her current work centers around human cytomegalovirus and hepatitis B virus infections of primary hepatocytes, aiming to understand the intracellular processes contributing to hepatitis. She enjoys learning new techniques and developing analytical approaches to virology including microscopy image analysis and genomics.
Caleb Frye
Postdoctoral Scientist
Caleb.Frye@NationwideChildrens.org
Caleb obtained his doctorate in chemistry at Duquesne University in December 2024. His graduate work combined biophysics, bioinformatics and biology to study the RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2, focusing on how the viral genomic RNA’s structure influences its interactions with viral and host RNAs. He also studied the role of these interactions in modulating the immune response, with regards to both immune evasion by the virus and the observed severity of infections early in the COVID-19 pandemic. His work led to conceptualization and design of an antiviral tactic utilizing modified nucleic acid oligomers to target these interactions in cells. In January 2025, he joined the Feng Lab as a postdoctoral scientist to investigate the mechanism of immune sensing of the hepatitis D virus and the evolution of the hepatitis E virus.
Zhe Jiao
Postdoctoral Scientist
Zhe.Jiao@NationwideChildrens.org
Zhe obtained his doctoral degree from Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China in December 2023 and joined the Feng Lab in August 2024. Currently, his main research focus is on the entry and release mechanisms of hepatitis E virus.
Ooreofe Odebode
Graduate Student
Ooreofe.Odebode@NationwideChildrens.org
Ooreofe completed her bachelor's degree in microbiology at Obafemi Awolowo University and earned a master’s degree in molecular biology and genomics from Redeemer’s University in Nigeria in 2023. She is currently a doctorate student in the biomedical sciences graduate program at The Ohio State University. Ooreofe joined the Feng Lab in 2025, where her research aims to elucidate the cell entry mechanism of eHEV.