This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 14 for UNMC’s Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator Award recipients.
New Investigator
The New Investigator Award is given to outstanding UNMC scientists who in the past two years have secured their first funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense or other national sources. New investigators also had to demonstrate scholarly activity, such as publishing their research and/or presenting their findings at national conventions.
- Name: Suyong Choi, PhD
- Title: Assistant professor, UNMC Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases
- Joined UNMC: 2021
- Hometown: Sacheon, South Korea
Describe your research focus in three words or less:
Phosphoinositide signaling
Why is research important in the world today?
Research on nature provides faint guidelines for an uncertain future. The exploration of life phenomena, which are part of nature, is very important because it presents a clue on how it can be used in a beneficial way for humanity.
My research will make a difference because:
Phosphoinositides are a rare class of phospholipids and thus are canonically considered to be confined to cellular membranes. Unexpectedly, we discovered that a significant fraction of phosphoinositides and their metabolizing enzymes are present in the nucleus, distinct from nuclear membranes. We are conducting pioneering studies on the nature and functions of nuclear phosphoinositides, with a focus on their disease implications, particularly in cancer. We believe that our current research will provide fundamental knowledge that could lead to the development of new anti-cancer drugs.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
Be kind to people. Kindness goes a long way in making the world a better place to live.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- My former company and battalion commanders in the U.S. Army wrote letters of recommendation when I applied to graduate schools in the U.S. They were very helpful.
- I am a big fan of the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack Go!
- I am good at making Korean pancakes (jeon) and deep-fried dishes.