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Vicens Lab

Quentin Vicens

Assistant Professor
Department of Biology and Biochemistry
Research Division: Biochemistry (Primary)

Office: Science & Engineering Research Center (SERC), 4021
Lab: SERC, W4010
Contact: qvicens@uh.edu - 713-743-2696

Recruitment: Thank you for your interest. Please note that we do not have any open positions at this time. Prospective Ph.D. students are encouraged to apply directly to a graduate program.

Education: Sc.D., University of Strasbourg, France (2015); Ph.D., University of Strasbourg, France (2002); B.Sc., University of Strasbourg, France (1997)

RNA shapes in three dimensions influence RNA functions. We explore this relationship in the context of various RNAs and the modulatation of their functions by proteins, small molecules and chemical modifications. We use approaches from biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, sequencing and computational biology. Our focus areas are Z-RNA biology, RNA processing and RNA structural dynamics.

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Quentin Vicens

Quentin Vicens, Sc.D.
Assistant Professor

Department of Biology and Biochemistry
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-5001

Office: SERC, 4021
Phone: 713-743-2696
qvicens@uh.edu

Chrysa Latrick

Chrysa Latrick, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

Department of Biology and Biochemistry
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-5001

Office: SERC, 4022
Phone: 713-743-9782
cmlatrick@uh.edu

Nivedita Dutta

Nivedita Dutta, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar

Courtney Le

Courtney Le
Researcher 1 Nat Phys Science

Cameron Ptak

Cameron Ptak
Senior Technical Assistant, SURF awardee (2024)

Gabriel Galvez

Gabriel Galvez
Computer assistant, PURS awardee (2025)

Mary Adesina

Mary Adesina
Graduate Student, Cell and Molecular Biology, AAUW awardee (2025–2026)

Arub Nihad

Arub Nihad
Graduate Student, Cell and Molecular Biology

Mahbuba Rahman

Mahbuba Rahman
Undergraduate Student, Biology, PURS awardee (2025)

Arnuv Modh

Arnuv Modh
Volunteer

Alumni

Fartun Yussuf

Fartun Yussuf
Undergraduate Student, Biology, PURS awardee (2024)

Z-RNA biology

  • Nichols PJ, Welty R, Krall JB, Henen MA, Vicens Q, Vögeli B. Zα Domain of ADAR1 Binds to an A-Form-like Nucleic Acid Duplex with Low Micromolar Affinity. Biochemistry. 2024 Mar 19;63(6):777-787. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00636. Epub 2024 Mar 4. PMID: 38437710.
  • Nichols PJ, Krall JB, Henen MA, Welty R, Macfadden A, Vicens Q*, Vögeli B. Z-Form Adoption of Nucleic Acid is a Multi-Step Process Which Proceeds through a Melted Intermediate. J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Jan 10;146(1):677-694. doi: 10.1021/jacs.3c10406. Epub 2023 Dec 22. PMID: 38131335.
  • Langeberg CJ, Nichols PJ, Henen MA, Vicens Q*, Vögeli B. Differential Structural Features of Two Mutant ADAR1p150 Zα Domains Associated with Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome. J Mol Biol. 2023 Apr 15;435(8):168040. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168040. Epub 2023 Mar 7. PMID: 36889460; PMCID: PMC10109538.
  • Nichols PJ, Krall JB, Henen MA, Vögeli B, Vicens Q*. Z-RNA biology: a central role in the innate immune response? RNA. 2023 Mar;29(3):273-281. doi: 10.1261/rna.079429.122. Epub 2023 Jan 3. PMID: 36596670; PMCID: PMC9945438.

RNA structure determination & prediction

  • Langeberg CJ, Szucs MJ, Sherlock ME, Vicens Q, Kieft JS. Tick-borne flavivirus exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs contain a double loop structure. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):4515. Published 2025 May 15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59657-7
  • Magnus M, Gao W, Dutta N, Vicens Q, Rivas E. RNAhub-an automated pipeline to search and align RNA homologs with secondary structure assessment. Nucleic Acids Res. 2025;53(W1):W496-W502. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf342
  • Bonilla SL, Vicens Q, Kieft JS. Cryo-EM reveals an entangled kinetic trap in the folding of a catalytic RNA. Sci Adv. 2022 Aug 26;8(34):eabq4144. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abq4144. Epub 2022 Aug 26. PMID: 36026457; PMCID: PMC9417180.
  • Vicens Q*, Kieft JS. Thoughts on how to think (and talk) about RNA structure. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Apr 26;119(17):e2112677119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2112677119. Epub 2022 Apr 19. PMID: 35439059; PMCID: PMC9169933.

Additional publications featured on Dr. Vicens’ Google Scholar profile.

Honors & Awards

President’s Circle Award

Organizations, Outreach, Boards, Memberships