People

Woongjae Yoo, Ph.D.

• Assistant Professor 

- Department of Life Sciences, POSTECH, Pohang, Korea

- 2023. 02 ~ Present

• Postdoctoral Fellow

- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TN, USA - (2018. 09 ~ 2023. 02)

  (Mentor: Mariana X. Byndloss, D.V.M., Ph.D.)

- University of California at Davis, CA, USA - (2017. 09 ~ 2018. 08)

  (Mentor: Andreas J. Bäumler, Ph.D.)

- Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea - (2017. 03 ~ 2017. 08)

  (Mentor: Sangryeol Ryu, Ph.D.)

• MS/Ph.D. in Food Science and Biotechnology 

- Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea

  (Advisor: Sangryeol Ryu, Ph.D.)

- 2011. 03 ~ 2017. 02

• B.S. in Food Science and Technology

- Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Korea

- 2003. 03 ~ 2011. 02

• Military Service in Korea

- 2004. 01 ~ 2006. 01 

Woongjae Yoo received his Ph.D. from Seoul National University in 2017. After graduating, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at University of California at Davis (in Davis, CA) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (in Nashville, TN) and investigated how inflammation-mediated changes in gut epithelial metabolism lead to gut dysbiosis and increased risk of infectious gastroenteritis by Salmonella Typhimurium and cardiovascular disease. When not in the lab, he loves to spend time trying new cafes with his family or exploring the outdoors.   

Wonho Jeon, Mr.

• Graduate Student (MS/Ph.D. program)

• Joined in 2024. 07

     jeonwonho@postech.ac.kr

 Wonho earned a B.S. in Biotechnology from Incheon National University. He studies how enteric pathogenic bacteria, particularly Salmonella enterica, regulate virulence in response to metabolic cues within the gut. His research focuses on the connection between bacterial energy metabolism and virulence gene expression, with particular interest in gut-associated metabolites such as 1,2-propanediol, propionate. By combining bacterial genetics, and infection model-based approaches, he investigates how Salmonella coordinates nutrient utilization, respiratory activity, and virulence regulation during intestinal colonization. His work aims to better understand how metabolic adaptation contributes to bacterial fitness and pathogenicity in the gut environment.

Serin Lee, Ms.

• Graduate Student (MS/Ph.D. program)

• Joined in 2024. 09

     serinlee@postech.ac.kr

 Serin earned a B.S. in Life Sciences from POSTECH. She is interested in how Western-style high-fat diets reshape the gut microbiota and contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly through bacterial production of genotoxic metabolites. Her research focuses on identifying the environmental cues that regulate bacterial genotoxin-producing operons and determining how these microbial products affect the host. She is also interested in the intracellular survival strategies of bacterial pathogens, especially the role of the nitrogen-related phosphotransferase system (Ntr-PTS) in bacterial adaptation and persistence within macrophages. Through these studies, she aims to understand how microbiome-derived factors and bacterial virulence mechanisms influence disease, and to explore their potential as targets for microbiome-based disease prevention and treatment.

Jonghoon Park, Mr.

• Graduate Student (MS/Ph.D. program)

• Joined in 2025. 03

joepark@postech.ac.kr

 Jonghoon earned a B.S. in Systems Biotechnology from Chung-Ang University. He is interested in the gut microbiome, probiotics, and bacteriophages, and his goal is to find efficient ways to alleviate disease, reduce inflammation, and promote gut health. To achieve this goal, he aims not only to discover new probiotic candidates but also to enhance existing probiotics through genetic engineering. More recently, he has become interested in bacteriophages, believing that phages themselves—and their proteins—may serve as promising materials for therapeutic agents. He believes that a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating methods such as AI-driven candidate discovery and analytical chemistry, is essential to achieving this goal. He always welcomes the chance to share and exchange perspectives and knowledge across different fields.

Hyejun Ahn, Ms.

• Graduate Student (MS/Ph.D. program)

• Joined in 2026. 06

 Hyejun earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Pusan National University. She is interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying host–gut microbiota interactions, particularly how pathogens overcome colonization resistance and gain a competitive advantage over commensal microbes. Her goal is to understand how the host and gut microorganisms influence each other. Building on this understanding, her ultimate goal is to develop microbial technologies that contribute to human health.