Yeon Ha Ju, PhD

Yeon Ha Ju, PhD
Post-Doc

She received B.S. degree of biology from Konkuk University and received Ph.D. degree of neuroscience from UST. She has studied the molecular and metabolic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease through reactive astrocytes in Justin Lee's Lab. In Nam lab, she is studying molecular mechanisms of epilepsy and metabolic alterations of neurological diseases using electrophysiology and molecular biology.


Education

2015. 03 – 2021. 08   Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Science & Technology (UST) in Korea

                                     - Advisor: Dr. C. Justin Lee

                                     - Dissertation: Exploration of Alzheimer’s disease from the diagnosis and treatment to the underlying mechanisms of memory impairment

2011. 03 – 2015. 02   BA, in Life Science, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea


Work experience

2018. 11 – 2021. 08   Integrated course of Ph.D. program in Institute for Basic Science (IBS)

2015. 03 – 2018. 10   Integrated course of Ph.D. program in Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

2014. 03 – 2015. 02       Internship in Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

2014. 02 – 2014. 03       Internship in Korean Basic Science Institute (KBSI)


Research Interests

Identification of the role of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases

Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases


Expertise and Speciallized Experimental Skills

Electrophysiology       Slice patch, Cell patch, Sniffer patch

Molecular works         Enzyme assays, Cloning, shRNA development  

Histology / Immunohistochemistry

Primary cell cultures   Primary neuron, Primary astrocyte, cell line managing,

Behavioral tests



Publications

  • Dong Ho Woo,† Jin Young Bae,† Min-Ho Nam,† Heeyoung An, Yeon Ha Ju, Joungha Won, Jae Hyouk Choi, Eun Mi Hwang, Kyung-Seok Han, Yong Chul Bae, and C. Justin Lee (2018). "Activation of Astrocytic mu-opioid Receptor Elicits Fast Glutamate Release Through TREK-1-Containing K2P Channel in Hippocampal Astrocytes." Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 12.
  • Jong-Hyun Park†, Yeon Ha Ju†, Ji Won Choi, Hyo Jung Song, Bo Ko Jang, Junsung Woo, Heejung Chun, Hyeon Jeong Kim, Su Jeong Shin, Oleg Yarishkin, Seonmi Jo, Mijeong Park, Seul Ki Yeon, Siwon Kim, Jeongyeon Kim, Min-Ho Nam, Ashwini M. Londhe, Jina Kim, Sung Jin Cho, Suengmok Cho, Changho Lee, Sung Yeoun Hwang, Sang Wook Kim, Soo-Jin Oh, Jeiwon Cho, Ae Nim Pae, C. Justin Lee, Ki Duk Park (2019). “Newly developed reversible MAO-B inhibitor circumvents the shortcomings of irreversible inhibitors in Alzheimer’s disease.” Science Advance. († equally contributed)
  • Ji-Woo Choi†, Yeon Ha Ju†, Yunsook Choi, Seung Jae Hyeon, Changdev G. Gadhe, Jong-Hyun Park, Mun Seok Kim, Seungyeop Baek, YoungSoo Kim, Ki Duk Park, Ae Nim Pae, Hoon Ryu, C. Justin Lee*, and Bong Rae Cho* (2020). “PyrPeg, a Blood–Brain-Barrier-Penetrating Two-Photon Imaging Probe, Selectively Detects Neuritic Plaques, Not Tau Aggregates”. ACS chemical Neuroscience († equally contributed)
  • Chun H, Im H, Kang YJ, Kim Y, Shin JH, Won W, Lim J, Ju Y, Park YM, Kim S, Lee SE, Lee J, Woo J, Hwang Y, Cho H, Jo S, Park JH, Kim D, Kim DY, Seo JS, Gwag BJ, Kim YS, Park KD, Kaang BK, Cho H, Ryu H, Lee CJ. (2020). “Severe reactive astrocytes precipitate pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer`s disease via H 2 O 2- production”. Nature Neuroscience
  • Tai Young Kim, Sangeun Jeon, Youngho Jang, Lizaveta Gotina, Joungha Won, Yeon Ha Ju, Sunpil Kim, Minwoo Wendy Jang, Woojin Won, Mingu Gordon Park, Ae Nim Pae, Sunkyu Han, Seungtaek Kim & C. Justin Lee (2021). “Platycodin D, a natural component of Platycodon grandiflorum, prevents both lysosome- and TMPRSS2-driven SARS-CoV-2 infection by hindering membrane fusion”. Experimental & Molecular Medicine


Awards

Oral presentation in KIST - BSI conference (2017, Sep) _New reversible MAO-B inhibitor KDS2010 abolishes astrogliosis and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease model

Poster presentation at Korea Society of Neurodegeneration Disorder (KSND) (2018, March) _ PyrPeg, a Novel Two-photon Probe to Selectively Detect Aβ in Alzheimer’s Disease

Poster awards at Korea Society of Neurodegeneration Disorder (KSND), (2020, Dec): “PyrPeg, a Blood–Brain-Barrier-Penetrating Two-Photon Imaging Probe, Selectively Detects Neuritic Plaques, Not Tau Aggregates”.

Poster awards at Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences (KSBNS), (2021, May): “Astrocytic urea cycle impairs memory in Alzheimer’s disease”.

1st poster presentation awards at Center for cognition and sociality workshop (IBS), (2021, June): “Astrocytic urea cycle impairs memory in Alzheimer’s disease”.


Patent

Two-photon Probe and Tracer for PET Specific to Amyloid-beta Oligomers and Plaques (아밀로이드 베타 올리고머 및 플라크에 특이적인 이광자 프로브 및 PET용 추적자), 2019, Korean Patent 10-2019-0027119