About Us
Principal Investigators
Dr. Ji-Young Lee, FAHA, FACN
Dr. Lee is a Professor and Head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association as well as the American College of Nutrition. She was the recipient of the first Korean Nutrition Society Award selected by the American Society for Nutrition in 2011. Dr. Lee’s research centers around identifying molecular mediators involved in energy metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis, which mediate the health benefits of dietary factors, such as berries, carotenoids, edible algae, and seaweeds. In particular, her primary focus is linking inflammatory/fibrogenic signaling pathways to energy metabolism using state of the art molecular techniques and cell bioenergetics tools in cells and animal models. Studies on how dietary factors regulate histone deacetylases as an epigenetic mode of action to regulate gene expression in metabolic, inflammatory, and fibrogenic pathways are actively underway in her laboratory.
Dr. Young-Ki Park
Dr. Park is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. His research focuses on the role of natural products in the regulation of obesity-related metabolic and inflammatory diseases. In recent years, he has been investigating the health benefits of Connecticut-grown seaweed, such as sugar kelp, related to obesity, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease, using pre-clinical models.
Lab Members
Current Members
Jaeeun Lee, PhD, Postdoc
Hayoung Woo, PhD student
Olivia Corvino, PhD Student
Undergraduate Students
Jonathan Schmitt, Nutritional Sciences
Erin Lee, Molecular and Cell Biology
Lori Huang, Nutritional Sciences
Lizzy Parkerson, Molecular and Cell Biology
Former Members at UConn
Postdocs and Graduate Students
John Josep Chua, Visiting MD/PhD student
Hyungryun Jang, PhD in May 2024
Dr. Mi-Bo Kim, Postdoc
Hyunju Kang, PhD in Dec 2020
Siqi Hu, PhD in July 2020
Yoojin, PhD in May 2020
Minkyung Bae, PhD in May 2019
Tho Pham, PhD in Dec 2015
Callie Ferruggia,MS in Dec 2014
Tyler Benn, MS in August 2014
Cindy Yang, PhD in August 2014
Chai Siah Ku, PhD in August 2014
Casey Wegner, MS in May 2014
Dr. Bohkyung Kim, Postdoc, 2010-2015
Undergraduate Students
- Alejandro Figueroa Condiman, BTG fellow, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Abigail Interrante, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Naniel Scott, Nutritional Sciences
- Victoria Kostour, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Will Odell, Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Adriana Suria, Nutritional Sciences
- Rachael Woodruff, Nutritional Sciences
- Anqi Cheng, Nutritional Sciences
- Lorenzo Ross, Allied Health Sciences
- Emily McManus, Nutritional Sciences
- Broke Fay, Nutritional Sciences
- Molly Vanluling, Molecular and Cell Biology
- Olivia Corvino, Nutritional Sciences
- Dana Chamberlain, Nutritional Sciences
- Catherine Han, Biological Sciences
- Edward O’Neill, Molecular and Cell Biology
- Christian Caceres, Nutritional Sciences
- Ellen Harness, Animal Science
- Nicholas Farrell, Nutritional Sciences
Lab Photos
Olivia’s PhD defense, September 2024
Dr. Jaeeun Lee, Nutrition 2024 in Chicago
Olivia Corvino, Nutrition 2024 in Chicago
Hayoung Woo, Nutrition 2024 in Chicago
Hyungryun’s PhD defense, May 2024
Lab members together for Will and Victoria’s farewell, May 7, 2022
Will’s presentation at UConn Frontiers, April 9, 2022
Abby’s presentation at UConn Frontiers, April 9, 2022
Hyungryun’s presentation at CAHNR Grad Res Forum, April 9, 2022
Hyunju’s Commencement, May 8, 2021
Party for Hyunju’s graduation, June 2021
Party for Hyunju’s graduation, June 2021
