Research Grant Awarded to Professor Cuncong Zhong for Pioneering RNA Bioinformatics Research

The Department of EECS is pleased to announce that Dr. Cuncong Zhong, an assistant professor, is serving as one of the two Principal Investigators on a major new NIH R01 research grant titled “Computational Methods for the In-Depth Study of RNA Structural Motifs.” This four-year, $1.1 million project (with $550,000 awarded to KU) will develop advanced computational methods for refining the search, classification, and discovery of RNA structural motifs—key elements of non-coding RNAs.

Dysfunction of these motifs has been linked to disorders such as Dyskeratosis congenita and Prader–Willi syndrome. By improving our understanding of RNA’s structural organization and its functional consequences, this work will enable powerful, reference-independent studies of non-coding RNA biomarkers and genetic variations (SNPs) with broad implications for genomic medicine.

Dr. Zhong shares equal Principal Investigator status with Dr. Shaojie Zhang from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Central Florida. The project runs from September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2029.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zhong on this prestigious award!