Jonas Wong

Area of Study / Keywords

Crohn's Disease Bacteria Host-Pathogen Interactions

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About

I am an MD/PhD candidate in the Elhenawy Lab, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology. I obtained my BSc Honors degree in Immunology and Infection in 2023, and have continued my research work with the Elhenawy Lab on Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli. My current work focuses on the regulation and assembly of a unique type IV secretion system (T4SS) by adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC), as well as how this pathovar utilizes the T4SS to resist phagocytic clearance by macrophages and neutrophils.

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Research

We recently characterized a hybrid T4SS in a Crohn's disease-associated AIEC strain, demonstrating that the machinery is assembled from both chromosomal and plasmid-encoded elements. 

I am currently interested in understanding the evolutionary advantages conferred by this hybrid system and am looking for undergraduate students interested in contributing to this project.

Jimmy Lu, Elena Arutyunova, Bridgette Hartley, Jonas Wong, Hyunjae Chung, Lanny Buchan, Heather Armstrong, Sadhna Phanse, Howard S. Young, Eytan Wine, Mohan Babu, Justin Chun, Wael Elhenawy, Olivier Julien, M. Joanne Lemieux

Nature Communications. 2025 December; 10.1038/s41467-025-67697-2

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Jonas Wong, Ahmad Refaat, Pablo Villacampa-Teixeira, Jonasz B. Patkowski, Natalie Lapa, Julian Ortiz, Kasia Dzierlega, Blake Roberts, Stephanie Tollenaar, Matthew Croxen, Aducio Thiesen, Dina Kao, Ben Willing, Xavier Clemente-Casares, Tiago R. D. Costa, Wael Elhenawy

Nature Communications. 2025 October; 10.1038/s41467-025-63859-4

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Arian Farajizadeh, Lazarus Siu, Jonas Wong, Greg G. Goss

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. 2025 May; 10.1016/j.cbpc.2025.110150

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Ebrahim Lari, Zahra Elahi, Jonas Wong, Kerstin Bluhm, Markus Brinkmann, Greg Goss

Chemosphere. 2024 September; 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142965

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