Organizing Team

Juhyun Lee, Ph.D., is currently an associate professor of Bioengineering at UTA. Juhyun completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah in 2010. He then attended USC and UCLA as a Master’s and Ph.D. Bioengineering student, respectively. After finishing his academic training, he worked as a biomedical engineer at Edward Lifesciences, specializing in artificial heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring devices. His research focuses on developing a novel microscopy system to study cardiac development by analyzing biomechanical effects. His research is supported by multiple American Heart Association (AHA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Institute of Health (NIH). 

Dr. Park is an Assistant Professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. Since establishing her laboratory at Purdue in January 2024, she has led a multidisciplinary research group integrating stem cell biology, organoids, tissue engineering, and organ-on-a-chip platforms to bridge engineering and biology and develop more predictive models of human health and disease. At Purdue, Dr. Park’s research group specializes in integrating patient-derived stem cells into microengineered devices to generate physiologically relevant models of the intestine and liver. A significant portion of her current work involves identifying the molecular pathways that drive inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. This includes leveraging chip-based organoids to define nutritional impacts on pediatric liver metabolism and engineering models to study age-related mechanisms of fatty liver disease. Additionally, her lab develops mechanically actuatable platforms to investigate the role of biophysical forces in tissue development. By integrating dynamic physiological environments into microengineered systems, her research addresses the limitations of conventional culture systems to build high-fidelity models for biomedical research and therapeutic applications. Dr. Park earned her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, where her doctoral research focused on engineering human iPSCs and organoids-on-chips to model age-related macular degeneration, inflammatory bowel disease, and fetal lung development. She holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Korea University. Her contributions to the field have been recognized with honors such as the 2025 ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award and the Solomon R. Pollack Award for Excellence in Graduate Bioengineering Research. Beyond her research, she is active in the academic community, serving on various committees and mentoring early-career scientists. 

Dr. Jeong-Ho Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Lee is a researcher in solid mechanics, centering on developing new theoretical frameworks with feasible real-world applicability and easy computational accessibility to address fundamental problems in mechanics, with wide-ranging applications in materials science, metamaterials, and biomechanics. Currently, his research lab aims to bridge gaps in next-generation materials for unprecedented dynamic capabilities, such as wave control, via internal microstructure patterning, by theoretically investigating its role and leveraging it as a design guide for deep learning-based optimization.

Before joining Florida Atlantic University, he was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley, advancing piezoelectric metamaterials to enhance their wave-scattering performance through novel cross-coupling between physics branches and physics-informed neural networks. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Boston University, developing a groundbreaking theory of stimuli-responsive shells (i.e., thin, soft materials that deform by responding to non-mechanical stimuli, such as heat, fluid/chemical swelling, and biological growth) that contributes to understanding the critical role of elastic instabilities during embryonic eye morphogenesis. 

Crystal Shin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, USA. Crystal’s research focuses on developing inflammation-modulating biopolymers to direct immune responses promoting regenerative healing. Her research program is supported by the DOD and NIH. Beyond research, she is also a passionate advocate for STEM education, actively engaging in outreach, mentorship, and programs that support and inspire the next generation of scientists. Crystal earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. In 2025, Crystal attended the SEED Workshop in Atlanta, GA. 

Dr. Sunjae Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in 2025. His research focuses on understanding the effects of gravity on multiphase thermal-hydraulic characteristics, with a particular emphasis on in-space cryogenic propellant management. His primary goal is to leverage multiphase fluid- thermal science to maximize thermal transport efficiency of space, defense, and energy systems, enabling ultra-high heat flux operation in extreme environments. Prior to his doctoral studies, he served as a Research Engineer at the Agency for Defense Development, a national laboratory in South Korea, where he developed advanced thermodynamic propulsion systems for naval defense applications. 

Dr. Myungwoon Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Drexel University. She earned her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT in 2018 and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative protein aggregation and its role in disease progression. She employs solid-state NMR and cryo-EM to investigate the structural and biophysical principles underlying protein misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases. 

Dr. Seungil Kim is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Mississippi State University. His work centers on biomedical polymer engineering, with a particular focus on sustainable, biocompatible, and stimuli‑responsive polymers for medical applications. His research group investigates the structure–property–function relationships of biomaterials and develops advanced technologies such as bioresorbable embolization systems, injectable gels, stem‑cell‑based therapies, and wireless stimuli‑responsive drug‑delivery platforms.

He completed postdoctoral training at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where he later served as a Research Assistant Professor. He earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University, and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Konkuk University.