Hometown:
Gangneung, South Korea
Year entered CMB program:
2024
Lab:
Brief Summary of Research:
My research focuses on how histone modifications regulate transcriptional pausing to preserve muscle stem cell (MuSC) quiescence and regenerative capacity.
Awards and Publications:
Blanc RS, Shah N, Hachmer S, Salama NAS, Meng FW, Mousaei A, Puri G, Hwang JH, Wacker EE, Yang BA, Aguilar CA, Chakkalakal JV, Onukwufor JO, Murphy PJ, Calvi LM, Dilworth FJ, Dirksen RT. Epigenetic erosion of H4K20me1 induced by inflammation drives aged stem cell ferroptosis. Nature Aging. (2025). 5(8), 1491–1509.
Kim Y-E*, Hwang JH*, Kim K-Y. Hydrangea serrata extract exerts tumor inhibitory activity against hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells via inducing p27/CDK2-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. (2024). 14(2):p 65-72 (* co-first author)
Hwang JH, Moon H, Kim H, Kim K-Y. Identification of a Novel ERK5 (MAPK7) Inhibitor, MHJ-627, and Verification of Its Potent Anticancer Efficacy in Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. (2023). 45(7):6154-6169.
Why did you decide to attend graduate school?
I realized that what excited me most about science was not just learning existing knowledge, but actually creating new knowledge through research. The idea that doing research means expanding the boundaries of what humanity knows felt really meaningful to me. Because publishing my first-author paper as an undergraduate was one of the happiest moments in my life and made me realize how much joy I find in doing research, I wanted to give back to science by contributing through my own work.
What inspired you to go into your field of study?
My interest in transcription and epigenetics began during my undergraduate research, where I studied how ERK5 regulates gene expression. I became deeply fascinated by how transcription factors and chromatin modifications work together to precisely control gene expression. What I found especially fascinating was how these small protein molecules, not even alive on their own, somehow find the right places and interact with the right partners with such precision to sustain complex biological processes. I often found myself wondering how this delicate interplay between genes and proteins ultimately gives rise to living systems, which inspired me to focus on gene regulation in my research.
When you are not in the lab, you are…….?
at Trader Joe’s.
What is the most fun part of your research?
The most fun part of my research is connecting different layers of gene regulation to understand how muscle stem cells function. I really enjoy the moment when separate pieces of data start to come together and make sense. It’s especially exciting to think that I’m uncovering previously uncharacterized regulatory mechanisms in MuSCs.