Chung Receives LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award

Biological Sciences Assistant Professor SeYeon Chung, PhD, was recently awarded the LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award which recognizes faculty at the rank of assistant professor who have outstanding records of scholarship and published research.

Chung's research nvestigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tissue morphogenesis. The formation of three-dimensional tubular structures from flat epithelial sheets is a key process of organ formation in all animals, including mammalian lungs, kidney and digestive organs. The Chung Lab takes advantage of powerful Drosophila genetics, live imaging and computational analysis. Specifically, using Drosophila embryonic tubular epithelia as models, the lab seeks to understand how the forces driving spatiotemporal changes in cell shape, arrangement and position are generated and transmitted during epithelial tube formation. These studies provide a basis for understanding general processes of organogenesis.  

“I am extremely honored to receive the 2023 LSU Alumni Rising Faculty Research Award,” said Chung. “I’m deeply grateful for the support from the department, college of science, and LSU, as well as for the hard work and dedication of all the amazing students in my lab.”

Since joining the faculty, Dr. Chung has developed a vigorous, independent, and well-funded research program examining a fundamental aspect of animal development—specifically, the formation of tubes from two-dimensional sheets of epithelia, which is an early morphogenetic process involved in the formation of numerous organs. Dr. Chung is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences. In addition to her postdoctoral fellow and three graduate students, she has mentored 16 undergraduate students with five involved in the LSU Discover undergraduate research program and three completing Honors theses.

Check out the full list of award recipients here.