Meet the Team
Jeeyun Chung
Principal Investigator
Jeeyun is from South Korea and did her PhD with Pietro De Camilli at Yale University. She completed postdoctoral training in the joint laboratory of Tobias Walther and Robert Farese Jr. at Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School before joining the faculty in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University in 2023. She enjoys looking at beautiful cellular structures under a microscope and designing creative experiments to solve the mysteries of cellular lipid metabolism. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, exploring new restaurants, and playing with her cat, Mochi.
Eleni Katafygiotou
Research Assistant
Eleni grew up in Thessaloniki, Greece, and got a degree in Neuroscience from Pomona College in California. There, she studied sex differences in stress effects on hippocampal plasticity and cognition in rodents. Her thesis focused on a BDNF-based approach combining a ketogenic diet, exercise, and handling to counter stress-related cognitive decline. At NYU’s Chao Lab, Eleni explored the link between astrocyte inflammation and glaucoma. At the Chung lab, Eleni is excited to hone in on her microscopy and cell culture skills and learn about lipid droplet catabolism and its link to neurological disorders. Outside the lab, Eleni enjoys running, reading, and pretending to be a film expert.
Trong Vien Duy Diep
Postdoctoral Researcher
Duy was born in Vietnam and earned his PhD at the University of Muenster in Germany. During his doctoral research, he uncovered the molecular machinery of a contact site between lipid droplets and vacuoles (the yeast equivalent of lysosomes), which plays a crucial role in lipid droplet degradation through autophagy. At the Chung lab, he continues to explore the biology of lipid droplets, focusing on their role in neuronal function and how their dysfunction contributes to neuropathology. Outside the lab, Duy enjoys traveling, watching movies, and exploring scenic trails.
Brynn Brady
Undergraduate Researcher
Brynn is an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley taking a year off to research full-time. She previously did molecular and developmental genetics work in Craig Miller’s Lab at Berkeley and Greg Barsh’s lab at Stanford. She spent the last six months at a small biotech company in Cambridge studying lipoproteins, where she became interested in lipid dysregulation as it relates to neurodegenerative disease. Brynn is excited about exploring this interest further in the Chung Lab. Outside the lab, she loves playing tennis and running, watching professional sports, playing bridge, and baking.
Anne Liang
Undergraduate Researcher
Anne is a junior at Harvard College from Boston, where she was born and raised. She is currently pursuing a concentration in Molecular and Cellular Biology, with a secondary in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. Hoping to merge these interests at the Chung Lab, she is keen on investigating the implications of lipid droplet dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of the lab, Anne enjoys watching crime shows, listening to indie music, and going thrifting with her friends.
Ian Glick
Undergraduate Researcher
Ian is a rising senior at Dartmouth College majoring in biology and minoring in history and design. At Dartmouth, he's worked on research to optimize B-cell engineering methods and to analyze bile acids involved in gastrointestinal diseases. Through several internships, he's worked with lipid nanoparticles for cell and gene therapies--which translated into an interest in lipid metabolism. At the Chung lab, he’s excited to learn cell-staining and microscopy techniques and dive into new neuroscience topics. Outside of the lab, Ian enjoys graphic design, skiing, playing the bass, and doing improv with his college improv group!
Sasha Tanguay
Northeastern Coop Undergraduate
Sasha is an undergraduate student at Northeastern University studying Neuroscience and Design. As a co-op student at the Chung Lab, she aims to explore the molecular mechanisms such as lipid droplets underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular interest in Huntington’s disease. She is especially curious about how molecular biology connects with neuroscience to help explain how microscopic cellular changes can lead to large-scale effects on brain function and neurological disorders. Originally from California, Sasha prefers the extreme weather in Massachusetts and loves winter sports, particularly skiing, and spends her free time collecting trinkets and creating digital artworks while listening to 80s rock music.
