Assistant Research Professor of Medicine, Academic Institute
Assistant Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College
I began my career in 2003 as a Medical Lab Technician and pursued Microbiology during my bachelor's and master's degrees. My research encompasses various therapeutic approaches, including the development of novel antibacterials, repurposing FDA-approved molecules, and the synthesis of hybrid molecules targeting pathogenic bacterial agents. Primarily, my work revolves around infectious diseases and the pursuit of innovative therapeutics against bacterial pathogens.
During my career development journey, I received training in India, South Korea, and the USA. In particular, I honed my expertise in medical bacteriology and biomedical science at Yonsei University in South Korea (ranked #3 in South Korea, 76 worldwide) and conducted my dissertation on novel therapeutics against H. pylori-induced gastric cancer. After obtaining my Ph.D., I joined Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital for my Postdoctoral studies. During this period, my research focused on antibacterial therapies and the use of vertebrate and invertebrate infection models in the Mylonakis laboratory.
Following my Postdoc, I joined as an Instructor of Medicine at Brown University (ranked #60 worldwide) and research scientist at The Miriam Hospital, where I led projects as Principal Investigator. Starting in March 2024, I have been working as an Assistant Research Professor of Medicine at Houston Methodist Academic Institute.
To date, my research efforts have resulted in 35 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in reputable journals such as ACS Nano, Carbohydrate Polymers, Future Medicinal Chemistry, Frontiers in Microbiology, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and Scientific Reports. My research encompasses a wide range of activities, including screening, compound discovery, target validation, and exploration of lead compounds. Throughout my years of training, I have gained extensive experience working with medically important microbial pathogens, including Helicobacter pylori and Staphylococcus aureus, using in vivo murine infection models.
1. Drug repurposing. I discovered that niclosamide, an antihelminthic compound, could inhibit Helicobacter pylori (PMC5829259) in acidic pH and we patented it (US11419834B2). Although H. pylori previously developed resistance against standard antibiotics such as clarithromycin and metronidazole, niclosamide-resistance was not found after continuous exposure.
I also explored other drugs to repurpose against bacterial infection. We reported auranofin (PMID: 31298580), diflunisal (PMID: 28652232). We reported auranofin-coated catheters (PMID: 30873389), determined to deter biofilm formation and bacterial accumulation
2. Antibacterial activity of natural compounds against Helicobacter pylori: Since herbal spices contain a wealth of bioactive compounds, I investigated the utility of some of those bioactive compounds against the H. pylori bacterium. Specifically, I have used the active biomolecule piperine from black pepper (PMID: 27158376; PMC4290101) and studied its effectiveness at inhibiting H. pylori. My study revealed for the first time that piperine acts as an effective H. pylori inhibitor, thereby counteracting processes that lead to gastric cancer from that pathogen.
3. Antimicrobial compounds that inhibit ESKAPE pathogens. My research always seeks novel therapeutic compounds against ESKAPE pathogens, and we found several molecules that can potentially be repurposed as antimicrobial agents.
