Hema Prasad Narra, an Indian American assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) has been awarded a new two-year exploratory research grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Narra, assistant professor of research, department of pathology, UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine, was awarded the grant for researching “Role of long non-coding RNAs in modulating host immunity and pathogen survival during Orientia infection.”
Orientia tsutsugamushi is a type of bacteria that causes an infectious disease called scrub typhus. The project aims to investigate how long non-coding RNAs regulate host immune responses and influence the intracellular survival of this bacteria, with the goal of identifying potential new therapeutic targets for scrub typhus, UTMB Provost’s Office stated announcing the grant.
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Transmitted by infected larval mites (chiggers), the pathogen primarily targets human endothelial cells and phagocytes, posing a threat to over one billion people globally.
Dr. Narra’s research will investigate the regulatory role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) during this infection. While lncRNAs do not code for proteins, they are major epigenetic and cellular regulators that can reshape mammalian immune signaling cascades.
The project intends to uncover how Orientia potentially manipulates host lncRNAs to subvert host defenses and prolong its own intracellular survival, laying groundwork for novel diagnostic markers or RNA-targeted therapeutics.
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Narra built his scientific expertise through an international academic foundation, earning his BS in Basic and Applied Sciences from Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in 1998, followed by an MS in Pathology from the prestigious Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 2000. He then moved to the United Kingdom, where he completed his PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Reading in 2005.
His contributions to the field of vector-borne intracellular pathogens have earned him notable professional honors. He serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology and holds an active membership in the American Society for Rickettsiology.