Rate My Professor Jin Meng Xiang-

Xiang-Jin Meng (X.J. Meng), MD, MS, PhD, is the University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at Virginia Tech's Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. He also holds a professorship in Internal Medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Meng received his MD from Binzhou Medical College in 1985, MS in Microbiology and Immunology from Wuhan University College of Medicine in 1988, and PhD in Immunobiology from Iowa State University in 1996. After serving as a research fellow at the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences and completing postdoctoral training as a Fogarty Visiting Scientist and Senior Staff Fellow at the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he joined Virginia Tech as Assistant Professor in 1999, was promoted to Professor in 2007, and named University Distinguished Professor in 2013. He founded and directs the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP) since 2020 and served as Interim Executive Director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute from 2021 to 2022.

Meng's research program investigates the molecular virology of emerging and zoonotic viruses, elucidating mechanisms of replication, pathogenesis, cross-species transmission, and developing prophylactic and therapeutic interventions including vaccines. His laboratory discovered the swine hepatitis E virus (PNAS, 1997), proving HEV zoonotic transmission from pigs to humans, and the avian HEV from chickens. They also invented the first USDA fully-licensed commercial PCV2 vaccine, marketed worldwide against porcine circovirus-associated disease. Current studies include HEV genotypes, PCV2, Torque teno sus virus, PRRSV, and PEDV. With over 362 peer-reviewed publications, h-index of 103, and 38,685 citations, Meng ranks among the top 1% most highly cited scientists in microbiology. He is inventor on over 20 U.S. patents. Recognitions include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2016), American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2022), NIH MERIT Award (2024), SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award (2017), Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2012), and University Distinguished Professor title.