Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory

We have been combining the advantage of Drosophila genetics with molecular biology, biochemistry, and brain imaging to understand how molecular and neural pathways shape animal behaviors. While our studies unveiled novel mechanisms underlying molecular clocks and sleep plasticity, they led us to further ask new biological questions in relevant physiology and moved forward our research on neurodegeneration and the underlying mechanisms. 

To this end, we have been diversifying our genetic models (e.g., patient-derived iPSC/iPSC-differentiated neurons; human fibroblast; mouse primary neurons; mammalian cell cultures) while employing new experimental techniques in our studies (e.g., CRISPR-based gene manipulations; transcriptome/translatome analyses by RNA sequencing; single-cell analysis by flow cytometry; functional imaging; hardcore biochemistry). 

Our research group is now transforming into the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory at KAIST, pursuing unexplored biological questions on various aspects of co-translational dynamics (i.e., ribosomal collisions; RQC; translation stress signaling) and their physiological significance (i.e., proteostasis; neuronal physiology; brain function; neurodegeneration; cellular senescence/aging). 

Equipped with broad ranges of research expertise and experimental models, we are uniquely positioned in the field. Our findings will have a high impact on science and clear implications for developing therapeutic strategies, given their strong relevance to neurological disorders and aging in humans.