1. Olayinka O, Ryu H, Wang X, Malik AB, Jung HM. (2024) Tissue Regeneration Requires Edema Fluid Clearance by Compensatory Lymphangiogenesis in Zebrafish. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2024.05.30.596701
2. Castranova D., Samasa B., Galanternik M.V., Jung H.M., Pham V.N., Weinstein B.M. (2021) Live imaging of intracranial lymphatics in the zebrafish. Circulation Research 128(1):42-58.
3. Jung H.M., Hu C.T., Fister A.M., Davis A.E., Castranova D., Pham V.N., Price L.M., Weinstein B.M. (2019) MicroRNA-mediated control of developmental lymphangiogenesis. eLife 8:e46007.
4. Li D., March M.E., Gutierrez-Uzquiza A., Kao C, Seiler C, Pinto E., Matsuoka L.S., Battig M.R., Bhoj E.J., Wenger T.L., Tian L., Robinson N., Wang T., Liu Y., Weinstein B.M., Swift M., Jung H.M., Kaminski C.N., Chiavacci R., Perkins J.A., Levine M.A., Sleiman P.M.A., Hicks P.J., Strausbaugh J., Belasco J.B., Dori Y., Hakonarson H. (2019) ARAF recurrent mutation causes central conducting lymphatic anomaly treatable with a MEK inhibitor. Nature Medicine 25(7):1116-1122.
5. Jung H.M., Castranova D., Swift M.R., Pham V.N., Galanternik M.V., Isogai S., Butler M.G., Mulligan T.S., Weinstein B.M. (2017) Development of the larval lymphatic system in the zebrafish. Development 144:2070-2081.
6. Jung H.M., Isogai S., Kamei M., Castranova D., Gore A.V., Weinstein B.M. (2016) Imaging blood vessels and lymphatic vessels in the zebrafish. The Zebrafish: Cellular and Developmental Biology, Part A Cell Biology, Methods in Cell Biology 133:69-103.
7. Jung H.M., Benarroch Y., Chan E.K.L. (2015) Anti-cancer drugs reactivate tumor suppressor miR-375 expression in tongue cancer cells. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 116(5):836-843.
8. Jung H.M., Phillips B.L., Chan E.K.L. (2014) miR-375 activates p21 and suppresses telomerase activity by coordinately regulating HPV E6/E7, E6AP, CIP2A, and 14-3-3ζ. Molecular Cancer 13:80.
9. Jung H.M., Patel R.S., Phillips B.L., Wang H., Cohen D.M., Reinhold W.C., Chang L.J., Yang L.J., Chan E.K.L. (2013) Tumor suppressor miR-375 regulates MYC expression via repression of CIP2A coding sequence through multiple miRNA-mRNA interaction. Molecular Biology of the Cell 24(11):1638-1648.
10. Jung H.M., Phillips B.L., Patel R.S., Cohen D.M., Jakymiw A., Kong W.W., Cheng J.Q., Chan E.K.L. (2012) Keratinization-associated miR-7 and miR-21 regulate tumor suppressor reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) in oral cancer. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(35):29261-29272.

2021 – present Honors College Faculty Fellow, UIC

2009-2013 Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
2006-2008 M.S. in Molecular Genetics, CHA University, South Korea
1999-2006 B.S. in Biological Sciences, Ajou University, South Korea

2023 – present American Heart Association (AHA)

2018 – present International Zebrafish Society (IZFS)

2018 – present Society of Developmental Biology (SDB)

2017 – present Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)

2015 – present North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO)

2010 – 2014 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

• Mechanosensitive microRNAs in osmoregulation for body fluid homeostasis. Midwest Zebrafish Meeting, St. Louis, MO, USA (2024).
• MicroRNA-mediated lymphatic control of fluid homeostasis. Annual Non-Coding RNA Symposium, Chicago, IL, USA (2023).
• MicroRNA fine-tunes endothelial cell differentiation and regulates vascular development. Midwest Zebrafish Conference, Columbus, OH, USA (2022).
• Novel microRNA-mediated mechanism of developmental lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic function. Annual Meeting of the Korean Society for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Yeosu, South Korea (2021).
• MicroRNA-mediated control of developmental lymphangiogenesis. NICHD Career planning and networking workshop for developmental biologists, Bethesda, MD, USA (2019).
• MicroRNA-mediated control of developmental lymphangiogenesis. Annual Bioscience and Engineering Symposium, Rockville, MD, USA (2019).
• MicroRNA-mediated control of developmental lymphangiogenesis. Lymphatic Forum 2019, Austin, TX, USA (2019).

Our research is centered on uncovering the fundamental mechanisms that govern lymphatic vessel development, function, and their critical role in fluid homeostasis. The lymphatic system is essential not only for maintaining fluid balance and immune surveillance but also for performing unique, organ-specific functions. When this system malfunctions, it can lead to a wide range of diseases, including lymphedema, cardiovascular conditions, cancer metastasis, organ transplant failure, inflammatory disorders, and obesity. Despite the system's critical importance, effective treatments for these conditions remain limited due to gaps in our understanding of lymphatic biology.

To address these challenges, we utilize zebrafish as a dynamic and powerful model to explore vascular biology in vivo. Zebrafish offer several key advantages for our research:

1. Rapid external development
2. Optical clarity
3. High fecundity
4. Genetic malleability
5. High-throughput screening capabilities

These features allow us to conduct real-time, high-resolution imaging, enabling us to track vascular development and cellular behavior in living organisms—whether in their natural state or under experimental manipulation. This cutting-edge approach provides unparalleled insights into the cellular and molecular processes that shape lymphatic biology.

Our research focuses on several exciting areas within lymphatic vascular biology, and we are always open to exploring new ideas to advance our understanding of this vital system:

• Novel mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis and fluid homeostasis
• The role of microRNAs in lymphatic development and function
• Crosstalk between lymphatic vessels and immune cells
• The unique functions of organ-specific lymphatic networks

By elucidating these fundamental processes, we aim to pave the way for new therapeutic strategies targeting lymphatic-related diseases and improving health outcomes.