Dr. Zheng first identified RNA cis-elements in regulation of alternative RNA splicing in papillomavirus in 1996 and has been studying protein-RNA interactions and their consequences in various infections with tumor viruses, including high-risk human papillomaviruses and Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. This study aims to understand how RNA splicing and small regulatory RNAs regulate the expression of viral and host genes in viral carcinogenesis. The long-term goal is to develop a series of therapeutic approaches to control viral or cellular gene expression for cancer or AIDS treatments and to identify biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognosis.