Rachel Fearns, PhD

Chair and Ernest Barsamian, MD Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

My group's research focuses on the transcription-replication machinery of non-segmented negative strand RNA viruses. My work spans several viruses in different viral families, including Marburg virus, Nipah virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and parainfluenza virus. Although these viruses cause very different diseases, they all share common mechanisms to transcribe and replicate their RNA genomes. My group specializes in using biochemical and molecular biology approaches to probe functional properties of the transcription-replication machinery. We collaborate with structural biologists to understand how the structure of viral polymerases relates to their multi-functional properties, with industry partners to determine the mechanism of action of small molecule polymerase inhibitors with therapeutic potential, and with experts in microscopy to study how the transcription-replication machinery is organized and regulated in infected cells.

Publications

  • Published 6/1/2026

    Zhao C, Taliento AE, Belkin EM, Fearns R, Lerou PH, Ai X, Bai Y. Infant respiratory syncytial virus infection disrupts ß2 adrenergic airway relaxation via epithelial CXCL11. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2026 Jun 01; 212(6):1290-1304. PMID: 42085211.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 2/3/2026

    Zhao C, Bai Y, Mou H, Lerou PH, Leung DW, Narasimhan H, Wei X, Sun J, Xu JF, Fearns R, Ai X. An immune-poised state of human bronchial epithelial cells mediates RSV resistance in adults. bioRxiv. 2026 Feb 03. PMID: 41676739.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/20/2025

    Hu S, Kim H, Yang P, Yu Z, Ludeke B, Mobilia S, Pan J, Stratton M, Bian Y, Fearns R, Abraham J. Structural and functional analysis of the Nipah virus polymerase complex. Cell. 2025 Feb 06; 188(3):688-703.e18. PMID: 39837328.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/15/2025

    Zhao C, Taliento AE, Belkin EM, Fearns R, Lerou PH, Ai X, Bai Y. Infant RSV infection desensitizes ß2-adrenergic receptor via CXCL11-CXCR7 signaling in airway smooth muscle. bioRxiv. 2025 Jan 15. PMID: 39868223.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/1/2025

    Fearns R, Liang B. Introduction to Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Methods Mol Biol. 2025; 2948:1-17. PMID: 40879898.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 69 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Faculty, National Emerging Infectious Disease Lab
    Boston University
  • Member, Pulmonary Center
    Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Member, Genome Science Institute
    Boston University
  • Graduate Medical Sciences Educator and Mentor (Primary Mentor of Graduate Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • University of St Andrews, PhD
  • University of Leeds, BS

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