Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) lie at the top of the stem cell hierarchy with the unique features, immortality and pluripotency. PSCs maintain their identity through indefinite proliferation while having an ability to produce all cell types in our body. Due to these interesting features, PSCs have provided an unprecedented experimental system for cellular and developmental biology and translational medicine. However, fundamental mechanisms governing immortality and pluripotency of PSCs have not been fully understood. Our lab is interested in discovering novel molecular and cellular mechanisms for PSC proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, fundamental principles we discovered in stem cells will be exploited to develop therapeutics for anti-aging.

• ㆍMolecular and cellular mechanisms of pluripotency
• ㆍMolecular dissection of early brain development
• ㆍRole of intrapopulation diversity in human embryonic stem cells
• ㆍDevelopment of new techniques for therapeutic applications of stem cells
• ㆍReversing aging-related phenotypes by stem cell factors

• ㆍHan D, Liu G, Oh Y, et al., (2023) ZBTB12 is a molecular barrier to dedifferentiation in human pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications, 14(1):632.
• ㆍJang J, Han D, et al., (2019) Control over single cell distribution of G1 lengths by WNT governs pluripotency. PLoS Biology, 17(9):e3000453.
• ㆍJang J, Wang Y, et al., (2016) Primary cilium-autophagy-Nrf2 (PAN) axis activation commits human embryonic stem cells to a neuroectoderm fate. Cell, 165: 410-420.
• ㆍLalli MA, Jang J, et al., (2016) Haploinsufficiency of BAZ1B contributes to Williams syndrome through transcriptional dysregulation of neurodevelopmental pathways. Human Molecular Genetics, 25 (7): 1294-1306.
• ㆍJang J, Wang Y, et al., (2014) Nrf2, a regulator of the proteasome, controls self-renewal and pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells, 32(10): 2616-2625.

• ㆍB.S., Seoul National University, Korea (2006)
• ㆍPh.D., Seoul National University, Korea (2011)

• ㆍ2011-2012 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea
• ㆍ2012-2016 : Postdoctoral Fellow, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
• ㆍ2016-2018 : Assistant Project Scientist, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara
• ㆍ2018-Present : Assistant/Associate Professor, Department of Life Sciences, POSTECH