Hong Cheng, Ph.D., is a Professor in Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. She received his undergraduate degree from China Medical University and Ph.D. degree from Kobe University, and performed postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School. The Cheng lab studies how nascent RNAs are sorted into the nuclear export, degradation and retention pathways. To understand this, the lab has been focused on studying three closely related aspects of gene expression: (1) The mechanism and regulation of nascent RNA sorting; (2) The complex interconnection between transcription, pre-mRNA processing and nuclear export; (3) Mechanisms and biological function of nuclear RNA degradation. Through these studies, the lab aims to reveal how the fate of nascent RNAs is determined and to understand the functional importance of RNA sorting.