PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Hee Jung Chung, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Associate Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program,
Affiliate Faculty, Neuroscience Program, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Institute of Genomic Biology.
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Burrill Hall, Room 427A. (Phone) 217-244-6839; (Email) chunghj@illinois.edu
Current Lab Members
Current Postdoctoral Fellows
Tanveer Singh, Ph.D. Neuroscience
Current Graduate students
Hayden Noblet, B.S. Neuroscience Sahil Malpotra, B.S. Neuroscience
Hongyu Zhao, B.S., M.S. MCB
Current Research Technicians
Annie Baker, B.S.
Current Undergraduate students
Joseph Jung , Undergraduate Student, MCB Major
Logan Silzer, Undergraduate Student, MCB Major, James Scholar
Nicolette Amundsen, Undergraduate Student, MCB Major
Sarah Lee, Undergraduate Student, MCB Major
Stephen Thomas, Undergraduate Student, Bioengineering Major
Past Lab Members
Former Postdoctoral Fellows
Kwan Young Lee, Ph.D. (former postdoc 2010-2014, currently in Dr. Tsai’s lab, UIUC)
Eung Chang Kim, Ph.D. (former postdoc 2015-2021, currently in Dr. Gillette’s lab, UIUC).
Former Graduate students
Kaitlyn Breithaupt, V.M.D. (former grad, Currently VMD)
Sara Royston, M.D. Ph.D. in Neuroscience (former grad, Currently MD)
Sung-Soo Jang, Ph.D. in Neuroscience (former grad, UIUC Graduate Class of 2019, currently a postdoc in Stanford University)
Jiaren Zhang, Ph.D. in MCB (former grad, UIUC Graduate Class of 2021, currently a Senior Scientist II at WuXi Biologics, China)
Brian Baculis, Ph.D. in Neuroscience (former grad, UIUC Graduate Class of 2022, currently a Senior Scientist at Glaxo-Smith-Kline, US)
Jennifer Walters, Ph.D. in Neuroscience(former grad, UIUC Graduate Class of 2023, Currently in Nashville, TN)
Gregory Tracy, Ph.D. in MCB(former grad, UIUC Graduate Class of 2023, currently a postdoc in U. Chicago, IL)
Braesen Rader, M.S. in MCB (former Master Student, UIUC, MCB)
Former Undergraduate students
Max Vest, M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2012). Graduated with MCB492 senior thesis. “Highest Distinction” for his senior thesis
Received MIP “Howard S Ducoff Prize for the Best Senior Thesis” and “Proctor & Gamble Award for Undergraduate Research” from Dept of MIP.
Han Sol Oh, Pharm D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2012). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with “Distinction” for her senior thesis. Received “C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award” from Dept of MIP.
Daniel Ley, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2012, currently in biotech)
Edward Kim, Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Northwestern Univ (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2013, currently a management consultant, Oliver Wyman). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with “Highest Distinction” for his senior thesis . Received “Howard S Ducoff Prize for the Best Senior Thesis” from Dept of MIP.
Ralph Bartley, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2012)
Seung Du Baek, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2013, currently in Biotech, Korea). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with “Distinction” for his senior thesis
Max Crouse, M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2013)
Ashley Czaplicki, M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2014)
Whitney A Stevens Sostre, BS (2014 SROP Undergraduate Student from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Currently in PhD program of University of Wisconsin Madison)
(UIUC Class of 2015). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with “Highest Distinction” for his senior thesis.
Seungbae Lee, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2015, currently in a M.S program in Neuroscience in Seoul National University, Korea). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with “High Distinction” for his senior thesis
Shuwei Wang, D.M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2016). Received MCB Summer Research Fellowship 2015
Hangil Jeong, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2016, accepted to U Minnesota Med School in 2022).
Weilun Pang, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2017, currently in Cornell University, PhD program). Graduated with “Highest Distinction” for her senior thesis. Received “Howard Ducoff Prize for the Best Senior Thesis”and “Proctor & Gamble Award for Undergraduate Research” from Dept of MIP.
Zhuoli Huang, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2017, a child growth facilitator, Beijing, China). Received BIOC James Scholar Preble Research Award 2015. Graduated with “Highest Distinction” for her senior thesis
Received MIP “C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award”
Received “William T. and Lynn Jackson Senior Thesis Award”
Rebecca Choi, D.M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2018).
Justine Chee, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2019. Attending Med School). James Scholar 2015-2019
Jaimin Patel, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2019. Attending Med School). Bronze Table 2019 from LAS. MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction. Awarded Howard S. Ducoff Award for Outstanding Senior Thesis from Dept of MIP
David Cao, M.D. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2019. Attending Med School). Bronze Table 2019 from LAS. MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction.
Julianne Yang, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2019, currently in UCLA PhD program). BIOC492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction.
BIOC William T. and Lynn Jackson Merit Award for her undergraduate senior thesis
Andrew Zhu, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2020, currently in MS program).
Diana Garcia, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2021, currently in Med School). Awarded Summer Undergraduate research fellowship, 2020.
Eric Shin, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2021, currently in Dental School). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction.
Awarded C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award from MIP Dept for his undergraduate senior thesis.
Harish Kesavan, B.S. (former undergrad, UIUC Class of 2021, currently in Med School). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with High Distinction.
Angelina Wilton, B.S. (former MCB and Psych undergrad, UIUC Class of 2022, currently in Mayo Clinic). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction. Awarded C. Ladd Prosser Outstanding Achievement Award from MIP Dept for her undergraduate senior thesis.
Kyleah Rogers, (Former undergrad researcher. Currently in UIUC Engineering). Performed Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS) research fellowship
Archit Bajaj, B.S. (former MCB undergrad, UIUC Class of 2023, currently in Medical School). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction. Awarded Howard S. Ducoff Award for Outstanding Senior Thesis from Dept of MIP
Anisha Bhole, B.S. (former MCB undergrad, UIUC Class of 2023). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction.
Graham Kessler, B.S. (former BIOC undergrad, UIUC Class of 2023, currently in Medical School). BIOC492 senior thesis.
Hyorim Jin, B.S. Undergraduate Student, BIOC Major (former MCB undergrad, UIUC Class of 2023).
Emma Bridgeman, B.S. (former MCB undergrad, UIUC Class of 2024, BEST (Biology, Experience, Scholarship, and Training) Scholar). MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction. Awarded Howard S. Ducoff Award for Outstanding Senior Thesis from Dept of MIP
Former High School Student
Andy Tang (UniHigh, IMSA Class of 2022). Currently at Stanford University as an undergrad CS major
Former Research Intern
Kyoeun “Elly” Keum, B.S. (former research intern 2023, MCB492 senior thesis. Graduated with Highest Distinction. currently a research technician at Tufts University).
Thaddaeus Newerkla, B.S. (former research intern and undergraduate exchange student from the Technical University, Vienna)
Kangyi “Andrea” Yang, B.S. (former research intern 2023-2024, UIUC Graduate of 2024 in Mathematics. Currently, Wash U, MS Program in Bioinformatics)
Former Technicians
Stephanie Park, B.S. (former tech 2011)
Rodal Issema, B.S. (former tech 2012)
John Cavaretta, B.S. (former tech 2013-2015, currently a research tech in New Mexico)
Nickolas Broches, B.S. (former tech 2016, currently in biotech)
Ki Hyuk Lim, B.S. (UIUC Graduate of 2023, MCB major, Graduated with Highest Distinction, currently in SIU Medical School).