Roles
Research Asst. Professor of Medicine
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Biography
My mother language is Korean, but I was born and grew up in a remote area, in Northeastern China, close to the border of North Korea and China. I was educated in Chinese and graduated from a medical school in Xi’an, China, in 1986. As a Physician, I practiced internal medicine in a hospital for 10 years in Shenyang, China, before I came to the USA as a visiting scientist (post-doctoral training) under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Rennard at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in December 1995.
After completing post-doctoral training in Lung Cell Biology and Respiratory Diseases at the UNMC, I continued my research on the mechanism of chronic inflammation-induced tissue damage and repair using a three-dimensional (3D) collagen gel culture system. The findings of our studies reveal that insufficient repair of lung alveolar structure following chronic airway inflammation may contribute to the development of emphysema.
Since 2016, I have been closely working with Dr. Yiannis Chatzizisis to study the mechanism of atherosclerosis formation and potential treatment strategies. Specifically, we have developed an in vitro model of the vascular wall as well as atherosclerotic plaque in our laboratory (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0280385 ). In January 2023, our team and laboratory moved from UNMC to the University of Miami (UM). Currently, using the in vitro 3D co-culture model, we are investigating the effect of shear stress and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) on the cellular and molecular alteration of the smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and monocytes; potential mechanisms of apoptosis and efferocytosis of the apoptotic cells; and biomechanical mechanisms of destabilizing atherosclerotic plaque. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
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Research Interests
Using an in vitro model of tissue culture, to study tissue injury and repair. Currently, using three-dimensional (3D) co-culture of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs), human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs), and monocytes, to study the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and to screen potential preventive and therapeutic drugs for atherosclerosis. -
Publications
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