The Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early-Career Chair and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Education
- 2011, Doctoral Degree, Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University
- 2006, Bachelor's Degree, Molecular Biology, Scripps College
Biography
Professor Eun Ji Chung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California. She received her B.A. in Molecular Biology with honors from Scripps College (Claremont, CA) and her Ph.D. from the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program and the Department of Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. At Northwestern, Dr. Chung developed biodegradable, citric acid-based polymers and nanocomposites for tissue engineering. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, she developed bio-nanomaterials for theranostic applications. Professor Chung is a recipient of the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (2014) and the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2, 2018), and received the USC faculty mentoring award for undergraduates in 2018, among many other awards. Dr. Chung is a member of the Society for Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering Society, and the American Institute for Chemical Engineers.
Research Summary
Dr. Chung's lab utilizes self-assembly, molecular design, and tissue engineering to generate biomaterial strategies to address the limitations of clinical solutions. One primary focus of our research involves the design and application of self-assembling, peptide amphiphile micelle nanoparticles for cardiovascular and cancer theranostics. Through targeting elements, micelles are tailored to directly bind to sites of diseased tissue for enhanced efficacy, while limiting side effects to normal tissues. Moreover, our goal is to incorporate imaging components within micelles that are relevant for clinical modalities such as MR and PET imaging, with the hope of utilizing this technology for personalized medicine. In addition to nanomedicine, we are also interested in combining biomimetic scaffolds with novel stem cell sources and 3D printing for tissue engineering. By further mimicking tissue and organ hierarchical structures, we aim to enhance the in vivo response. One aspect of this research will be focused on tailoring our materials to form in situ in order to complement the growing number of minimally-invasive procedures.
Awards
- 2022 American Heart Association American Heart Association Transformational Project Award
- 2021 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eshelman School of Pharmacy Rising Stars in Drug Delivery and Novel Carriers Selected Speaker
- 2021 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award
- 2021 Controlled Release Society Member of the Year Award
- 2021 WiSE, USC Hanna Reisler Mentorship Award
- 2021 Controlled Release Society Best On-Demand Talk Award
- 2020 Chinese Association for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award
- 2020 Viterbi Junior Research Award
- 2020 Scripps College Outstanding Recent Alumna
- 2020 Oral Drug Delivery Focus Group, Controlled Release Society Young Investigator Award
- 2020 Bioengineering and Translational Medicine, AIChE Futures issue
- 2019 Orange County Engineering Council Outstanding Young Engineer
- 2019 Journal of Materials Chemistry B Emerging Investigator
- 2019 IEEE-NANOMED New Innovator
- 2019 National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering
- 2019 Biomedical Engineering Society Rising Star in Cellular Molecular Bioengineering
- 2018 SLAS Reviewer Excellence Award
- 2018 Nano Research Young Innovator in Nanobiotechnology
- 2018 NIH New Innovator Award (DP2)
- 2017 USC Stem Cells Eli and Edythe Broad Innovation Award
- 2017 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) Tony B. Early Career Academic Travel Award
- 2017 L.K. Whittier Foundation Non-Cancer Translational Research Award
- 2017 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator
- 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 35 Under 35
- 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Career Development Award
- 2016 IEEE Micro and Nanotechnology in Medicine Conference (MNMC) Young Investigator Session
- 2015 National Lung, Heart, and Blood Institute NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence
- 2014 Chicago Biomedical Consortium Postdoctoral Research Grant
- 2012 American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2011 IBNAM-Baxter Early Career Award
- 2010 Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Certificate for Management for Scientists and Engineers
