My name is Brian Yoon, and I am a senior Biology major at Bucknell University. I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and spent most of my life in a busy city far from forests or wetlands. Because of that, any time I could get out of the city, I became especially drawn to animals. My whole family has animal fur allergies, so I couldn’t have common pets like cats or dogs. Instead, I grew up with a very diverse set of organisms: turtles, rhinoceros beetles, stag beetles, hermit crabs, snails, fish, and most memorably, a bearded dragon. Caring for my bearded dragon, in particular, made me realize how unique, complex, and underrated reptiles are, and this naturally led me to appreciate amphibians as well. Their life cycles, how they can interact with humans, and sensitivity to environmental change make them especially fascinating to me. I’m excited to be part of the Takahashi lab and to contribute to projects focused on amphibian ecology, behavior, and conservation.

Outside of academics, I love spending time outside and I really enjoy meeting and talking to new people. I am a huge soccer fan and enjoy playing all types of sports, especially soccer and badminton. I also have a strong passion for music. I played the violin for more than 10 years and was a vocalist in my high school band. I still love listening to music whenever I can. Recently, I have been getting more into cooking, not just Korean food but dishes from all around the world!