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Bi-Hung Peng, PhD Associate Professor

Bi-Hung Peng, PhDDepartment of Neurobiology
2.143 Medical Research Building (MRB)
Route: 1069 | Tel: (409) 772-4877 | bpeng@utmb.edu

Education and Training

PhD in Experimental Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch
MS in Experimental Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch
MS in Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
BS in Agronomy, National Chung-Hsing University, Taiwan

Research Interests

Basic Science Research: My research interests include the pathogenesis of intracellular bacterial and viral infection in the central nervous system, focusing on the routes of entry into the CNS and effects on blood-brain barrier integrity. I use animal models and primary cell cultures (endothelium, neuron, and/or astrocyte) to investigate pathogenesis in these diseases, and use information obtained from human autopsies to guide my studies. Effects of mediators produced by or in response to such infections on endothelial monolayers modeling the blood-brain barrier are monitored using the Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS). In addition, I also collaborate with other virologists in evaluation of pathological changes resulting from West Nile virus, SARS and MERS infections.

Peng Photos 1

  • Peng Image 1

    Perivascular infiltration with mononuclear cells, a typical feature of viral encephalitis

  • Peng Image 2

    Microglial activation first detected at one day post viral infection

  • Peng Image 3

    Astrogliosis observed at eleven days post viral infection

  • Peng Image 4

    Mixed culture of neurons (green) and astrocytes (red), isolated from mouse brains

  • Peng Image 5

    Astrocyte foot processes are important components of the blood-brain barrier

  • Peng Image 6

    ECIS monitoring resistance changes after infection with various infectious agents

Medical and Graduate Education: My major educational efforts are focused on the first year medical school courses (Gross Anatomy; Molecules, Cells & Tissues; Pathobiology & Host Defense; and Neuroscience & Human Behavior), and the Gross Anatomy course for the School of Health Professions. One of my major interests is in the modernization of medical education through virtual microscopy and other virtual technologies for teaching histology, histopathology and anatomy. Currently, I am supporting virtual microscopy for courses in all four Schools.

Selected Publications

Peng, B.H., Lee, J.C. and Campbell, G.A.. In vitro Protein Complex Formation with Cytoskeleton Anchoring Domain of Occludin Identified by Limited Proteolysis. J. Biol. Chem. 278:49644-51, 2003.

Peng, B.H., White, M.A., Campbell, G.A., Robert, J.J., Lee, J.C. and Sutton, R.B. Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction of the ZO-binding domain of human occludin. Acta Crystallograph. Sect. F Struct. Biol. Cryst. Commun. 61:369-71, 2005.

Yun, N.E., Peng, B.H., Bertke, A.S., Borisevich, V., Smith, J.K., Smith, J.N., Poussard, A.L., Salazar, M., Judy, B.M., Zacks, M.A., Estes, D.M. and Paessler, S. CD4+ T cells provide protection against acute lethal encephalitis caused by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Vaccine 27:4064-4073, 2009.

Peng, B.H., Yun, N.E., Chumakova, O.V., Zacks, M.A., Campbell, G.A., Smith, J.N., Smith, J.K., Linde, J.J. and Paessler, S. Neuropathology of H5N1 virus in ferrets. Vet. Microbiol. 156:294-304, 2012.

Peng, B.H., Borisevich, V., Popov, V.L., Zacks, M.A., Estes, D.M., Campbell, G.A. and Paessler, S. Production of IL-8, IL-17, IFN-gamma and IP-10 in human astrocytes correlates with alphavirus attenuation. Vet. Microbiol.. 163: 223-234, 2013.

Bhavnani, S.K., Drake, J., Bellala, G., Dang, B., Peng, B.H., Oteo, J.A., Santibanez-Saenz, P., Visweswaran, S. and Olano JP. How cytokine co-occur across rickettsioses patients: from bipartite visual analytics to mechanistic inferences of a cytokine storm. AMIA Summits Transl. Sci. Proc. 18:15-19, 2013.

Honda-Okubo, Y., Barnard, D., Ong, C.H., Peng, B.H., Tseng, C.T. and Petrovsky, N. SARS-CoV vaccines formulated with delta inulin adjuvants provide enhanced virus protection while ameliorating lung eosinophilic immunopathology. J. Virol. 89:2995-3007, 2015.

Agrawal, A.S., Garron, T., Tao, X., Peng, B.H., Wakamiya, M., Chan, T.S., Couch, R.B., and Tseng, C.T. Generation of Transgenic Mouse Model of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus Infection and Disease. J. Virol. 89:3659-70, 2015.

Tao, X., Garron, T., Agrawal, A.S., Algaissi, A., Peng, B.H., Wakamiya, M., Chan, T.S, Lu, L., Du, L., Jiang, S., Couch, R.B. and Tseng, C.T. Characterization and Demonstration of the Value of a Lethal Mouse Model of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection and Disease. J. Virol. 90:57-67, 2015

Xie, G., Luo, H., Pang, L., Peng, B.H., Winkelmann, E., McGruder, B., Hesse, J., Whiteman, M., Campbell, G., Milligan, G.N., Cong, Y., Barrett, A.D. and Wang, T. Dysregulation of Toll-Like Receptor 7 Compromises Innate and Adaptive T Cell Responses and Host Resistance to an Attenuated West Nile Virus Infection in Old Mice. J. Virol. 90:1333-1344, 2016.

Link to PubMed Publications