Siddharth Sridhar

Dr Sridhar is a clinical virologist with a special interest in emerging infectious diseases and hepatitis E virus. In 2018, he led the investigation which discovered that rat hepatitis E virus can cause human infection. Since then, he has conducted community-wide investigations into the genomic epidemiology, zoo-epidemiology, and clinical features of this novel pathogen. He is currently interested in developing optimal management strategies for infected patients and affected communities using innovative techniques bridging field, bedside, and laboratory. His research is focused on probing the antigenicity of rat hepatitis E virus with the specific objective of designing accurate diagnostic tests, optimizing antiviral regimens for treating infected patients, and developing vaccines against the virus using innovative small animal models.

Dr Sridhar has also discovered that genotype 4 hepatitis E virus, the most prevalent genotype of hepatitis E in China, is transmissible via organ donations and can cause treatment-refractory chronic hepatitis in transplant recipients. He is interested in uncovering the genetic mechanisms of ribavirin resistance in genotype 4 hepatitis E virus and validating these mechanisms using infectious clones.

Besides hepatitis E, Dr Sridhar has been involved in path breaking research into COVID-19 including animal models, serosurveillance studies, diagnostic tests, infection control, and clinical symptomatology that crystallized our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 in the early days of the pandemic. Dr Sridhar is also passionate about knowledge exchange and enjoys regular engagement with the public via mainstream media outlets, social media, and talks.

Education

• Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery - MBBS The University of Hong Kong (2005 — 2010)

Selected publications

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Multimodal investigation of rat hepatitis E virus antigenicity: implications for infection, diagnostics, and vaccine efficacy. J Hepatol 2021; 74(6): 1315 – 1324. [IF: 25.083, Journal rank: 2/92 in Gastroenterology & Hepatology]

Sridhar S (first and corresponding author), et al. Hepatitis E virus species C infection in humans, Hong Kong. Clin Infect Dis 2021; doi:10.1093/cid/ciab919. [IF: 9.079, Journal rank: 3/92 in Infectious Diseases]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Transmission of rat hepatitis E virus infection to humans in Hong Kong: a clinical and epidemiological analysis. Hepatology 2021; 73(1): 10 – 22. [IF: 17.425, Journal rank: 6/92 in Gastroenterology & Hepatology)]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Rat hepatitis E virus as cause of persistent hepatitis after liver transplant. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 24(12): 2241-50. [IF: 6.883, Journal rank: 7/92 in Infectious Diseases]

Sridhar S (first author), Cheng VCC, Wong SC, et al. Donor-derived genotype 4 hepatitis E virus infection, Hong Kong, China, 2018. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25(3): 425 - 433. [IF: 6.883, Journal rank: 7/92 in Infectious Diseases]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Clinical characteristics and molecular epidemiology of hepatitis E in Shenzhen, China: a shift toward foodborne transmission of hepatitis E virus infection. Emerg Microbes Infect 2017; 6. [IF: 7.163, Journal rank: 6/92 in Infectious Diseases]

Cheng VCC, Sridhar S (Co-first author), et al. Japanese Encephalitis virus transmitted via blood transfusion, Hong Kong, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 24(1). [IF: 6.883, Journal rank: 7/92 in Infectious Diseases]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Genotype 4 hepatitis E virus is a cause of chronic hepatitis in renal transplant recipients in Hong Kong. J Viral Hepat 2018; 25(2): 209-213. [IF: 3.728, Journal rank: 17/36 in Virology]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Hepatitis E virus genotypes and evolution: emergence of camel hepatitis E variants. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18. [IF: 5.923, Journal rank: 67/297 in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology]

Sridhar S (first author), et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of human hepegivirus 1 infection in patients with hepatitis C. Open Forum Infect Dis 2019; 6(8). [IF: 3.835, Journal rank: 37/92 in Infectious Diseases]