Background

Biography

Jun is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Weis Lab. A lifelong resident of Oregon, he left the state for Emory University in Georgia where he studied the parasitic transmission of West Nile virus from mosquitoes. After undergraduate studies, he joined Teach for America and taught high school biology and middle school integrative science for four years in the Bay Area. He developed an interest in coral-algal symbiosis while volunteering in John Pringle's lab in Stanford University and returned to Oregon to pursue his graduate studies.

Research

Advised by Virginia Weis

Jun's research integrates organismal physiology with cell, molecular, and imaging approaches to understand coral–algal symbiosis using the model system Aiptasia. His work focuses on how environmental stress alters host–symbiont interactions, with an emphasis on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying thermal stress. His current projects examine sphingolipid signaling and cell fate determination in symbiosis, dysbiosis, and recovery.

Teaching

In addition to his research, Jun is committed to teaching, outreach, and mentorship. At Oregon State University, he teaches laboratory courses in human anatomy and physiology, invertebrate biology, and introductory biology, emphasizing clear explanations and questions to build student confidence, scientific reasoning, and core lab skills. He continually refines his teaching to foster a supportive and engaging learning environment.

Courses Taught

• BI 204 - Introductory Biology (eCampus)
• BI 221 - Principles of Biology: Cells
• BI 222 - Principles of Biology: Organisms
• BI 223 - Principles of Biology: Populations
• BI 341 - Advanced Human Anatomy & Physiology: Skeletal, Muscular and Integumentary Systems
• BI 342 - Advanced Human Anatomy & Physiology: Nervous, Endocrine, Reproductive Systems
• BI 343 - Advanced Human Anatomy & Physiology: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Urinary, Digestive Systems
• Z 362 - Invertebrate Biology Lab

Education

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 2016, Environmental Sciences and History.

Research areas