Jana Cable, PhD, is a 2025 alum of the PhD program in molecular genetics and microbiology. Her research interests lie in understanding how viral proteins evade cellular defenses to infection and regulate the host environment.
What inspired you to pursue science as a career? Was there a specific person or experience that sent you down this path?
Both of my parents are scientists by training, so I was inspired by seeing them and by their encouragement to be curious. But I really learned that I loved science and research in college when I started working in a research lab. It was so exciting to use the information we were learning in classes to try to learn something that no one else knew before, and to see how all the information we have in our textbooks come from doing experiments and asking questions. There, I also had a great mentor, Dr. Natosha Finley, who really believed in me and encouraged me.
Has there been a finding or development in your research that has surprised you recently? Tell me a bit about what that was and why it was surprising.
In the lab of Micah Luftig, PhD, I have studied a herpesvirus called Epstein-Barr Virus, or EBV, which infects almost everyone by adulthood and can cause complications such as certain cancers or autoimmune disorders in some people. We want to understand what role each viral protein plays during infection.
Follow what makes you curious and know that every “successful” discovery or accomplishment in science comes after a lot of failure or mistakes – maybe in how you’re trying to answer a scientific question or even which question you’re asking. Instead of focusing on the challenges, lean into what drives your curiosity and into what you’ve learned each time things don’t go the way you expect.
One of the first EBV proteins expressed when the virus infects cells is named EBNA-LP. Previously, EBNA-LP had been thought to just act as a “helper” to a different viral protein. Instead, we found that EBNA-LP plays a very important role in blocking certain cellular proteins, including one called a “Speckled protein” or Sp140L, from inhibiting viral infection. This was surprising because the function of Sp140L was not previously known, and now we know it is likely important in inhibiting infection of all DNA viruses. This work also changes how we think about EBNA-LP function and how DNA viruses use viral proteins to overcome barriers to infection.
What advice would you give to young people aspiring to enter the field of science?
Follow what makes you curious and know that every “successful” discovery or accomplishment in science comes after a lot of failure or mistakes – maybe in how you’re trying to answer a scientific question or even which question you’re asking. And as a result, there are times when you’ll feel like you really don’t know anything. This isn’t because you aren’t smart enough or aren’t a good scientist, it’s because science is about asking questions and finding answers that nobody knows yet. That is challenging, but it’s also what makes science so exciting. So instead of focusing on the challenges, lean into what drives your curiosity and into what you’ve learned each time things don’t go the way you expect. Every piece you learn makes you a better scientist and matters just as much as your scientific discoveries.