Sangyong Choi, Ph.D.

Assistant ProfessorPicture of Professor Choi

Office:    Advanced Technology Laboratory (ATL) Room 211D
Phone:   (860) 486-0866
Email:    sangyong.choi@uconn.edu

 

EDUCATION

    • Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2015)
    • M.S. in Food & Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2008)
    • B.S in Biology and Food & Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2006)

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

    • Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (Aug 2020 – Present)
    • Postdoctoral/Faculty Associate, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX (2016-2020)
    • Postdoctoral Associate, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH (2015-2016)

PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

    • Dietitian, Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea, Seoul, Korea (2006)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

    • Understanding how nutrients affect human health and diseases: systemic and cellular roles of zinc in cancer and cardiometabolic diseases
    • Investigating how genes affect micronutrients homeostasis: mechanisms of cells integrating internal and external signals in order to coordinate dynamic functions upon nutrients’ availability
    • Identifying novel genetic and epigenetic controls governing nutrient metabolism

#nutrigenomics #nutrigenetics #zinc #cancer #cardiometabolic diseases

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (recent 5 years)

View Authored articles on Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=MrQfTLgAAAAJ

    • Choi S, Lim JW, Kim H. Effect of thiol antioxidants on lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in pulmonary epithelial cells. J Physiol Pharmacol 2018 (69) 4 jpp.2018.4.04. Epub 2018 Nov 7, PMID: 30415238
    • Pan Z, Choi S, Luo Y. Mn2+ Quenching Assay for Store-Operated Calcium Entry. Methods Mol Biol 2018 (1843) 55-62, PMID: 30203276
    • Choi S, Liu X, Pan Z. Zinc Deficiency and Cellular Oxidative Stress: Prognostic Implications in Cardiovascular Diseases. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2018 (7) 1120-32, PMID: 29926844
    • Cui C, Chang Y, Zhang X, Choi S, Tran H, Penmetsa KV, Viswanadha S, Fu L, Pan Z. Targeting Orai1-mediated store-operated calcium entry by RP4010 for anti-tumor activity in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2018 (432) 169-179, PMID: 29908962
    • Choi S, Hu YM, Corkins ME, Palmer AE, Bird AJ. Zinc transporters belonging to the Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) family have complementary roles in transporting zinc out of the cytosol. PLOS Genetics 2018 (14) e1007262, PMID: 29529046
    • Choi S, Cui C, Luo Y, Kim SH, Ko JK, Huo X, Ma J, Fu LW, Souza RF, Korichneva I, Pan Z. Selective inhibitory effects of zinc on cell proliferation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through Orai1. FASEB J 2018 (32) 404-16, PMID: 28928244
    • Pan Z, Choi S, Ouadid-Ahidouch H, Yang J, Beattie J, Korichneva I. Zinc transporters and dysregulated channels in cancers. Front Biosci 2017 (22) 623-43, PMID: 27814637

SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS (recent 5 years)

    • Choi S, Sathe A, Mathe E, Xing C, Pan Z. Analysis of chromatin accessibility landscapes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Poster presentation at the Experimental Biology (EB) Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2019)
    • Choi S. Zinc in esophageal cancer prevention. Oral presentation at the Sigma Delta Theta Chapter Nursing Research Symposium, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX (2018)
    • Choi S, Cui C, Korichneva I, Pan Z. Zinc inhibits esophageal cancer cell proliferation through a calcium channel Orai1. Poster presentation at the FASEB Conference on Trace Elements in Biology and Medicine, Tahoe City, CA (2018)
    • Choi S, Pan Z. Genomic DNA preparation for ATAC-seq in esophageal cancer cells presenting low number of mitochondria. Poster presentation at the Sigma Delta Theta Chapter Nursing Research Symposium, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX (2017)
    • Choi S. Zinc inhibits Orai1-mediated calcium signals in esophageal cancer cells. Oral presentation at the BK21-Plus Symposium on Nutrition and Health: From Cell to Society, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2016)
    • Choi S, Cui C, Luo Y, Ko JK, Ma J, Fu L, Korichneva I, Pan Z. Zinc Inhibits Orai1-Mediated Calcium Signals in Esophageal Cancer Cells. Poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2016)
    • Choi S, Luo Y, Zimering M, Fu D, Ma R, Wang Y, Pan Z. Circulating IgGs in Type 2 Diabetes with Atrial Fibrillation Induce Intracellular Ca2+ Release in Cardiomyocytes through IP3 Pathway. Poster presentation at the 10th Annual Research Day, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2015)

AWARDS & HONORS

    • Scholarship for the Nutrigenetics, Nutrigenomics and Precision Nutrition Short Course, University of North Carolina Nutrition Research Institute, Kannapolis, NC (2016)
    • Duhamel Scholarship, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2013-2014)
    • Dissertation Research Fellowship, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2013-2014)
    • Virginia Vivian Graduate Student Research Award, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2013)
    • Scholarship for the Brain Korea 21 Project on Functional Foods and Nutrigenomics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2006-2008)

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

    • American Society for Nutrition (2019-Present)
    • American Heart Association (2019-Present)
    • New York Academy of Sciences (2015-Present)

TEACHING & MENTORING EXPERIENCE

    • Peer Mentor, Animal Core Facility, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX (2017-2020)
    • Lecturer, Special Topics in Micronutrients, Department of Food & Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2016)
    • Teaching Associate, Science of Human Nutrition, Department of Nutrition Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (2012-2013)
    • Teaching Assistant, Nutrient Metabolism and Experiment, Department of Food & Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2007-2008)