Eric Jan, University of British Columbia

Research

Virus Rna Protease Internal Ribosome Entry Site Ribosome Translation Coronavirus Innate Immune Response

Latest papers

Transgene sequence codon optimization and composition determines replication competence of self-amplifying RNA.
Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2026
Ribosome biogenesis mediates the translational increase of nonoptimal codon transcripts during IFN-β stimulation.
Canadian journal of microbiology · 2026
Functional Analysis of the Halastavi árva Virus (HalV) Internal Ribosome Entry Site.
Viruses · 2026 · senior author

All 66 publications

Latest funding

The discovery and mechanism of novel factorless IRES translation
CIHR · 2025 · Supervisor
$120,000
In Situ Gene Editing to Rescue Genetic Skin Diseases
CIHR · 2025 · Co-investigator
$887,400
Translation initiation via factorless internal ribosome entry site mechanisms
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$1,136,025

All 28 grants and awards

66 publications.

01

Transgene sequence codon optimization and composition determines replication competence of self-amplifying RNA.

Bathula NV, Soriano SKV, Huang C, Jan E, Sagan SM, Blakney AK

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2026.07.004 PMID: 42421318

02

Ribosome biogenesis mediates the translational increase of nonoptimal codon transcripts during IFN-β stimulation.

Hay B, Smid R, Louie N, Zhong H, Flibotte S, Jan E, Foster L

Canadian journal of microbiology2026

DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2025-0032 PMID: 42201812

03

Functional Analysis of the Halastavi árva Virus (HalV) Internal Ribosome Entry Site.

Chapagain S, Woodburn LF, Strynadka NCJ, Jan E

Viruses2026Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/v18050492 PMID: 42198695

04

Generation, Propagation, and Titering of Dicistrovirus From an Infectious Clone.

Shen J, Sadasivan J, Jan E

Bio-protocol2025Senior author

DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.5216 PMID: 40028018

05

Liposomal lipid nanoparticles for extrahepatic delivery of mRNA.

Cheng MHY, Zhang Y, Fox K, Leung J, Strong C, Kang E, Chen Y, Tong M, Bommadevara H, Jan E, Ip OYL, Rodríguez-Rodríguez C, Saatchi K, Häfeli UO, Abdolahzadeh A, Witzigmann D, Cullis PR

Nature communications2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58523-w PMID: 40319025

06

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2A protects pancreatic beta cells during endoplasmic reticulum stress while rescuing global translation inhibition.

Panzhinskiy E, Skovsø S, Cen HH, Rahardjo A, Zhang JA, Chu KY, MacDonald K, Soukhatcheva G, Dionne DA, Hallmaier-Wacker LK, Wildi JS, Marcil S, Noursadeghi N, Taghizadeh F, Verchere CB, Jan E, Johnson JD

Diabetologia2025

DOI: 10.1007/s00125-025-06431-5 PMID: 40304759

07

Discovery of functional factorless internal ribosome entry site-like structures through virome mining.

Chapagain S, Salcedo-Porras N, Abdolahzadeh A, Zhang Y, Pereira HS, Flibotte S, Low K, Young C, Wu Y, Wang S, Ishiguro S, Yachie N, Patel T, Babaian A, Jan E

PLoS pathogens2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013255 PMID: 40570062

08

Genetic engineering of transfusable platelets with mRNA-lipid nanoparticles is compatible with blood banking practices.

Strong C, Leung J, Kang E, Badior KE, Robertson M, Pereyra N, Rowe EM, Wietrzny A, Ma B, Noronha Z, Arnold D, Ciufolini MA, Devine DV, Jan E, Cullis PR, Kastrup CJ

Blood2024

DOI: 10.1182/blood.2024024405 PMID: 39190426

09

Protein is expressed in all major organs after intravenous infusion of mRNA-lipid nanoparticles in swine.

Ferraresso F, Badior K, Seadler M, Zhang Y, Wietrzny A, Cau MF, Haugen A, Rodriguez GG, Dyer MR, Cullis PR, Jan E, Kastrup CJ

Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101314 PMID: 39253356

10

Identification of the proteolytic signature in CVB3-infected cells.

Vlok M, Solis N, Sadasivan J, Mohamud Y, Warsaba R, Kizhakkedathu J, Luo H, Overall CM, Jan E

Journal of virology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00498-24 PMID: 38953667

The discovery and mechanism of novel factorless IRES translation

SupervisorCIHR2025DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Principal investigators: Abdolahzadeh, Amir

Keywords: Internal Ribosome Entry Sites; Mrna; Protein Translation; Rna; Virus

$120,000

In Situ Gene Editing to Rescue Genetic Skin Diseases

Co-investigatorCIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Hedtrich, Sarah

Keywords: Gene Therapy; Skin

$887,400

Translation initiation via factorless internal ribosome entry site mechanisms

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Jan, Eric

Keywords: Internal Ribosome Entry Site; Protein Synthesis; Pseudoknot; Ribosome; Rna; Scanning; Translation; Virus

$1,136,025

RNA Canada ARN 2024 Meeting

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Côté, Jocelyn

Keywords: Gene Expression; Ribonucleic Acids; Transcription; Translation

$15,000

24th RiboClub Annual Meeting

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Fabian, Marc R

Keywords: Deregulation In Disease; Gene Expression Regulation; Regulatory Rna; Rna Biology; Rna Complexes; Rna Delivery; Rna In Biotechnology; Rna Interactions; Rna Structure; Transcriptomics

$10,000

Rational Design of Lipid Nanoparticle Systems for mRNA Delivery

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Cullis, Pieter R

Keywords: Bioengineering; Ionizable Lipids; Lipid Nanoparticles; Messenger Rna; Nucleic Acids

$1,082,476

Rational Design of More Potent Lipid Nanoparticle mRNA Therapeutics

SupervisorCIHR2023CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award - General

Principal investigators: Cheng, Miffy Hok Yan

Keywords: Lipid Nanoparticles; Mrna Delivery; Nanomedicine

$180,000

16th Annual RiboWest Conference

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Audas, Timothy E

Keywords: Cells; Gene Expression And Regulation; Ribonucleic Acid (Rna); Rna Technology; Scientific Meeting

$10,000

COVID-19 Variant Supplement - Host cellular protein substrates of SARS-CoV-2 proteases

Nominated PICIHR2021Operating Grant: SARS-CoV-2 variants supplement stream 1

Principal investigators: Jan, Eric

Keywords: Coronavirus; Innate Immune Response; Mass Spectrometry; Protease; Rna; Substrate Specificity; Virus; Virus Host Interactions

$50,000

Translation initiation via factorless internal ribosome entry site mechanisms

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant

Principal investigators: Jan, Eric

Keywords: Dicistrovirus; Drosophila; Function; Internal Ribosome Entry Site; Open Reading Frame; Ribosome; Rna; Structural Biology; Structure; Virus

$918,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Medicine
Department of Molecular Genetics
Cellular and Physiological Sciences
Oral Biological & Medical Sciences
Michael Smith Laboratories
Other

Co-authors at University of British Columbia, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Honglin Luo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

9 shared papers, latest 2024

Yasir Mohamud

Faculty

5 shared papers, latest 2024

Michel Roberge

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

3 shared papers, latest 2016

Jeremy Hirota

Medicine

2 shared papers, latest 2021

Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

2 shared papers, latest 2024

Trushar Patel

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Sarah Hedtrich

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Nozomu Yachie

Biomedical Engineering

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Artem Babaian

Department of Molecular Genetics

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Hugh Kim

Oral Biological & Medical Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Leonard Foster

Michael Smith Laboratories

1 shared papers, latest 2022

Douglas Allan

Cellular and Physiological Sciences

1 shared papers, latest 2015

Karen Mossman

Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2021

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2025

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Virus Dear Professor Jan, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Transgene sequence codon optimization and composition determines replication competence of self-amplifying RNA." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Translation initiation via factorless internal ribosome entry site mechanisms" (2025), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Eric Jan

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Transgene sequence codon optimization and composition determines replication competence of self-amplifying RNA.

Ribosome biogenesis mediates the translational increase of nonoptimal codon transcripts during IFN-&#x3b2; stimulation.

Functional Analysis of the Halastavi &#xe1;rva Virus (HalV) Internal Ribosome Entry Site.

Generation, Propagation, and Titering of Dicistrovirus From an Infectious Clone.

Liposomal lipid nanoparticles for extrahepatic delivery of mRNA.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2A protects pancreatic beta cells during endoplasmic reticulum stress while rescuing global translation inhibition.

Discovery of functional factorless internal ribosome entry site-like structures through virome mining.

Genetic engineering of transfusable platelets with mRNA-lipid nanoparticles is compatible with blood banking practices.

Protein is expressed in all major organs after intravenous infusion of mRNA-lipid nanoparticles in swine.

Identification of the proteolytic signature in CVB3-infected cells.

Frequent collaborators

Honglin Luo

Yasir Mohamud

Michel Roberge

Jeremy Hirota

Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu

Trushar Patel

Sarah Hedtrich

Nozomu Yachie

Artem Babaian

Hugh Kim

Leonard Foster

Douglas Allan

Karen Mossman

Ribosome biogenesis mediates the translational increase of nonoptimal codon transcripts during IFN-β stimulation.

Functional Analysis of the Halastavi árva Virus (HalV) Internal Ribosome Entry Site.