Prof. Dr. Rong Hai is an Associate Professor at the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2006. Since 2008, he has been a member of the American Society for Virology. His research field focuses on the molecular characterization of (re)emerging RNA viruses, with focuses on identifying novel viral virulence factors, unraveling molecular interactions between viruses and their hosts, and developing innovative next-generation vaccines.