Principal Investigator

Seok-Kyu Kwon, Ph.D
Professional Experience
2018 – current : KIST, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Center for Functional Connectomics, Senior Researcher
2013 – 2017 : Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Dept. of Neuroscience, Postdoctoral Scienctist
Advisor: Prof. Franck Polleux
2011 - 2013 : The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, Post-doc
Advisor: Prof. Franck Polleux
Education
2005/3 - 2010/8 : KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Dept of Biological Sciences, Ph. D.
Advisor: Prof. Eunjoon Kim
2001/3 - 2005/2 : KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Dept of Biological Sciences, B.S.
Honors and awards
2010 Seok-lim scholarship : KAIST alumni association
2012 Human Frontier Science Program, Long-term fellowship
Seok-Kyu got his Ph.D. at KAIST under the guidance of Prof. Eunjoon Kim. During his Ph.D., he identified and characterized novel synaptic cell adhesion molecules for synapse formation and stabilization. Then, he joined Prof. Franck Polleux's lab as a postdoc, and he unveiled the critical roles of mitochondria at presynaptic sites using various live imaging techniques. In addition, he found that the physiological importance of ER-mitochondria contacts in dendritic sites.
Now his lab is focusing on the physiological roles of mitochondrial calcium regulation in various neuronal compartments and circuits.
Graduate student

Hyunsu Jung
Hyunsu is exploring mitochondrial calcium regulation in compartment-specific & circuit-specific way.
Education
2019/2 - current: KIST & Korea University,
Republic of Korea
Dept. of Life Sciences, M.S.
2010/3 - 2018/2 : Korea University, Republic of Korea
Dept of Biotechnology and
Bioinformatics, B.S.
Honors and awards
2018 : Best poster award, KIST Brain Science
Institute symposium
Graduate student

Su Yeon Kim
Su Yeon is investigating circuit-specific mitochondrial distribution and function using various innovative tools.
Education
2012/3 - 2018/2: Kyungpook National University,
Daegu, Republic of Korea
Dept of Life Sciences and
Biotechnology, B.S.
2019/2 - current: KIST & Korea University
College of Medicine,
Republic of Korea
Ph.D.
Research Experience
2019/11 - 2020/2: Intern researcher,
KIST
2017/9 - 2018/2: Intern researcher,
Kyungpook Nat. Univ.
Prof. Sang Ryong Kim
2017/2 - 2017/8: Exchange Student
Marburg University, Germany
Graduate student

Fatma Sema
Canbakis Cecen
Sema is investigating alteration of mitochondrial distribution and function in aged brains.
Education
2007/9 - 2019/6 : Middle East Technical University
Turkey
Dept. of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Research Experience
2020/3 - current: Intern researcher,
KIST
2017/2 - 2017/8: Intern researcher
Ruhr University, Germany
Graduate student

Wonsuk Kim
Wonsuk is investigating the roles of mitochondrial components for neuronal development and function
Education
2014/3 - 2017/2 : Yonsei University, Republic of Korea
Dept. of Systems Biology
Research Experience
2015/7 - 2015/8: Intern researcher,
Yonsei University
2016/7 - 2016/8: Intern researcher
KAIST
Intern

Woo-Seok Yang
Education
2017/3 - current : Konkuk Univ., Korea
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Woo-Seok is a junior student at Konkuk Univ. and participating to develop AI-based neuronal mitochondria analysis software, and interrogating the mitochondrial calcium regulatory mechanisms.
Intern

Yewon Jang
Education
2019/3 - current : Hanyang Univ., Korea
Dept. of Life Science
Yewon is a junior student at Hanyang Univ. and participating to develop AI-based neuronal mitochondria analysis software, and investigating the PD related mechanisms.
Alumni
Intern

Kangyeon Kim
Education
2017/3 - current : Konkuk Univ., Korea
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Kangyeon is a junior student at Konkuk Univ. and working on the project related to develop AI-based neuronal mitochondria analysis software.
Intern

Hyeyeon Bae
Education
2019/3 - current : Ewha Womans Univ., Korea
Dept. of Life Sciences
Hyeyeon is a junior student at Ewha Womans Univ. and working on the project related to develop AI-based neuronal mitochondria analysis software.
Intern

Taeeun Ko
Education
2017/3 - current : Ewha Womans Univ., Korea
Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Tae-Eun was a senior student at Ewha Womans Univ. She is setting up the 3D-EM analysis system in the lab.
Intern

Hyewoo Jeong
Education
2017/3 - 2022/2 : Hanyang University, Korea
Dept. of Bioengineering, B.S.
2022/3 - current : Hanyang University, Korea
Dept. of Bioengineering,
Ph.D. candidate
Hye-Woo was a junior student at Hanyang Univ. and worked on the project related to develop AI-based neuronal mitochondria analysis software.
Postdoc

Changuk Chung, Ph.D
Education
2012/3 - 2017/2 : KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Dept of Biological Sciences, Ph. D.
Advisor: Prof. Eunjoon Kim
2008/3 - 2012/2 : KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Dept of Biological Sciences, B.S.
Professional Experience
2019/11 - current: UCSD, La Jolla, USA
Joseph Gleeson's lab
Postdoc
2018/11 - 2019/10: KIST, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Center for Functional Connectomics,
Postdoc
Intern

Yeon Soo Ahn
Education
2015 - 2018 : Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea
Dept. of Biological Engineering
2018 - current : Janssen Korea
Yeon Soo was a senior student at Konkuk University. She investigated neuronal mitochondrial distribution and developing analysis software using deep learning algorithm.
Intern

Victoria Vernail
Victoria was a junior student at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, USA. She joined our lab through IPAN program, which is a NSF (National Science Foundation) funded fellowship.
Education
2017/9 - 2020/8 : Chatham University, Pittsburgh, USA
Dept. of Biology
2020/9 - current : Penn state college of medicine
Intern

Yunseo Chang
Education
2017/9 - 2021/12: McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Dept. of Physiology
Yunseo was a junior student at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She joined our lab through AKCSE (The Association of Korean-Canadian
Scientists and Engineers) internship program.