Seoul National University | South Korea
Prof. Yong-Keun Jung is a distinguished molecular biologist and neurodegeneration researcher recognized for his pioneering contributions to understanding cell death, autophagy, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Biology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, following an M.S. in Molecular Biology and a B.S. in Zoology from Seoul National University. After completing postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, he served as a professor at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, where he also chaired the Department of Life Science and directed major academic programs such as the BK21 initiative. At Seoul National University, he held several leadership roles, including Director of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Vice President of the Bio-MAX Institute, and President of the Korea Society for Neurodegenerative Disease. His research focuses on molecular pathways of neurodegeneration, protein homeostasis, autophagy regulation, and therapeutic target discovery. As an editor and editorial board member for leading international journals, he has significantly shaped scientific discourse in biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular neuroscience. With numerous academic honors and contributions, Prof. Jung continues to influence the global research community, concluding a career marked by innovation, leadership, and lasting scientific impact.
Featured Publications
Park, G., Kim, N., Kim, S.-Y., Lee, H., Li, C.M., Seol, J.H., Choi, S.-Y., & Jung, Y.-K. (2025). “TUSC3 regulates ERMA-mediated Mg²⁺ uptake for synaptic function and neurodevelopment” in Nature Communications.
Kim, Y., Kim, N., Lee, W., Kim, Y., Kim, D., Park, J., & Jung, Y.-K. (2025). “More 26S and 30S proteasomes are beneficial in proteinopathy” in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Li, C.M., & Jung, Y.-K. (2025). “ER quality control through reticulophagy and protein secretion” in Autophagy.
Baek, S., Chang, J.-W., Yoo, S.-M., Choo, J., Jung, S., Nah, J., & Jung, Y.-K. (2024). “TMEM9 activates Rab9-dependent alternative autophagy through interaction with Beclin1” in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences.
Kang, J., Li, C.M., Kim, N., Baek, J., & Jung, Y.-K. (2024). “Non-autophagic Golgi-LC3 lipidation facilitates TFE3 stress response against Golgi dysfunction” in The EMBO Journal.
Li, C.M., Kang, J., Baek, J., Kim, Y., Park, H., & Jung, Y.-K. (2024). “Cytosolic FKBPL and ER-resident CKAP4 co-regulates ER-phagy and protein secretion” in Nature Communications.
Kim, S.-H., Cho, Y.-S., Kim, Y., Park, J., Yoo, S.-M., Gwak, J., Kim, Y., Gwon, Y., Kam, T., & Jung, Y.-K. (2023). “Endolysosomal impairment by binding of amyloid beta or MAPT/Tau to V-ATPase and rescue via the HYAL-CD44 axis in Alzheimer disease” in Autophagy.