About Daniel

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California as the son of immigrant Korean parents. They gave up everything and moved to an entirely foreign country so that their children could have a better life. Despite being on food stamps and dire financial straits for most of my childhood, my parents worked hard to not let our circumstances affect their children’s futures. I have tried hard to emulate that work ethic. I am the first in my family to finish college and earn a post-graduate degree. Despite my strict upbringing, my parents always encouraged my love of books and learning. My local public library became my second home, one where I discovered worlds beyond my own. One of those worlds was science. And I never looked back.

I received my B.S. in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and conducted research in optically sensitive nanoparticle delivery systems in the laboratory of Professor Luke Lee. Upon graduation, I worked as a research associate at UC San Francisco under Professor Didier Stainier and investigated pancreatic beta-cell regeneration through high-throughput small molecule screens in transgenic zebrafish models. Prior to my PhD studies, I completed an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering in the laboratory of Dr. Paulo Coelho while studying bone implants and biomaterials. My doctoral dissertation research focused on the covalent and noncovalent targeting of oncogenic Ras with modified peptidomimetics, which are based on the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins. My postdoctoral work focuses on three primary directions: engineering human skin commensals, conversion of plastic waste into nutritious biomass, and the use of generally regarded as safe (GRAS) microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, yeast, fungi, algae, and cyanobacteria, as alternative sources of food.

I had the opportunity to study abroad in South Korea during college, my very first visit as an adult. As a child, I had never particularly cared for Korean cuisine or culture despite my parents’ insistence. But I fell in love with both since that visit. At some point, I was introduced to the concept of “son-mat,” which literally translates to the “taste of your hands.” In Korean cuisine, contact between food and the cook’s hands is essential, and the term has become a compliment acknowledging exceptional culinary skills and proficiency as a cook. As an example, kimchi is often and still is prepared by hand (although the use of gloves has become predominant), but specific individuals were often sought out in feudal times for their delicious kimchi. The source for their tasty “son-mat” has been linked to the specific makeup of their skin microbiome during fermentation. This relationship between the host microbiome and the local environment is one I hope to study, and eventually exploit, in my future career.

In the not too distant future, advancements in synthetic biology and genetic engineering may grant us the ability to bioform at the cellular level. Bioforming refers to the process of altering and adapting biological organisms or ecosystems to better suit specific environmental conditions, often with the goal of making inhospitable environments habitable for humans or other forms of life. I believe my education and experience make me an ideal fit for this future. As the world encounters new and ever more complex challenges, the next generation of scientists will require a pioneering mindset and academic freedom to tackle such complex projects.

Education

Ph.D. Chemistry | New York University | New York, NY | Dec 2020

M.S. Biomedical Engineering | New York University | New York, NY | May 2013

B.S. Bioengineering | University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA | May 2009