Our lab is interested in understanding the mechanisms involved in human brain diseases. We have developed new research directions utilizing in vitro and in vivo approaches to model neurodevelopmental diseases associated with seizure such as focal malformation of cortical development and linear nevus sebaceous syndrome.
We are exploring the stem cell-based model to further highlights pathogenic mechanisms and pharmacoresistant seizure to identify new avenues for targeted therapeutic intervention. Potential future therapies may include pharmacologically targeting defective gene regulatory networks and will require extensive understanding of the genetic, cellular, and molecular mechanisms controlling neurological development and function.
We will take advantage of the unique animal and stem cell models to investigate the molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopmental diseases associated seizures and uncover fundamental processes governing normal brain development and function.

• ㆍCellular and molecular genetics of neurodevelopmental diseases
• ㆍDevelopment of novel treatment strategy of epilepsy using stem cell/animal models
• ㆍNeurodevelopmental function of oncogenic mutations found in brain tumor

• ㆍYun EJ, Kim D, et al., (2023) Targeting Wnt/β-catenin-mediated upregulation of oncogenic NLGN3 suppresses cancer stem cells in glioblastoma. Cell Death&Disease, 14(7):423.
• ㆍKim YE, Kim YS, et al., (2023) Reversibility and developmental neuropathology of linear nevus sebaceous syndrome caused by dysregulation of the RAS pathway. Cell Reprots, 42(1):112003.
• ㆍYun EJ, Kim D, et al., (2022) Stanniocalcin 2 drives malignant transformation of human glioblastoma cells by targeting SNAI2 and Matrix Metalloproteinases. Cell Death Discovery, 8(1):308.
• ㆍWenderski W, Wang L, et al., (2020) Loss of the neural-specific BAF subunit ACTL6B relieves repression of early response genes and causes recessive autism. PNAS, 117(18):10055-10066.
• ㆍYun EJ, Kim S, et al., (2020) Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway induces autophagy-mediated temozolomide-resistance in human glioblastoma. Cell Death&Disease, 11(9):771.
• ㆍYun EJ, Lin CJ, et al., (2019) Downregulation of Human DAB2IP Gene Expression in Renal Cell Carcinoma Results in Resistance to Ionizing Radiation. Clinial Cancer Research, 25(14):4542-4551.
• ㆍSchaffer AE, Breuss MW, et al., (2018) Biallelic loss of human CTNNA2, encoding αN-catenin, leads to ARP2/3 complex overactivity and disordered cortical neuronal migration. Nature Genetics, 50(8):1093-1101.
• ㆍBaek ST, Copeland B, et al., (2015) An AKT3-FOXG1-reelin network underlies defective migration in human focal malformations of cortical development. Nature Medicine 21, 1445-54.
• ㆍYun EJ, Baek ST, et al., (2015) DAB2IP regulates cancer stem cell phenotypes through modulating stem cell factor receptor and ZEB1. Oncogene 34, 2741-52.
• ㆍBaek ST, Kerjan G, et al., (2014) Off-target effect of doublecortin family shRNA on neuronal migration associated with endogenous microRNA dysregulation. Neuron 82, 1255-62.

• ㆍB.S., Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea (1999)
• ㆍM.S., Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea (2007)
• ㆍPh.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, TX, USA (2012)

• ㆍ2012-2014 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Univ. of California San Diego, CA, USA
• ㆍ2014-2017 : Postdoctoral Fellow, The Rockefeller University, NY, USA
• ㆍ2017-Present : Associate Assistant Professor, Dept. of Life Sciences, POSTECH

• ㆍAmerican Heart Association, Predoctoral Fellowship (2010)
• ㆍWeinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference, Travel Award (2011)
• ㆍBrain and Behavior Research Foundation, NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2015)