University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · GeneticsThe Gene Expression Nexus
Hyejung Won · Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Hyejung Won's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding the genetic factors contributing to Alzheimer's disease and other conditions through advanced genomic techniques. The lab investigates how specific regulatory elements in DNA influence gene expression in a variety of cell types, especially in the brain, using innovative methods such as single-cell analysis and massively parallel reporter assays. The goal is to unravel the complexities of gene regulation in relation to diseases, allowing for better diagnostics and treatment options.
Alzheimer's Diseasegene regulationregulatory elementssingle-cell analysisgenomic variationmassively parallel reporter assayscell-type specificitygene-environment interactionGWAS
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how Alzheimer's disease-associated cis-regulatory elements regulate gene expression at single-cell resolution.
AIM 02Characterize the impact of genetic variation on gene regulation across different tissues and environmental contexts.
AIM 03Develop a genomic toolbox to identify cell type-specific regulatory elements important for aging and Alzheimer's pathogenesis.
AIM 04Analyze the effects of thousands of genetic variants on gene expression under normal and inflammatory conditions.
AIM 05Generate a regulatory variant catalog to aid future research in genomics and disease.
Skills the Lab Values
single-cell RNA sequencingmassively parallel reporter assays (MPRA)mouse modelsgenomic editing (CRISPR)high-throughput sequencingbioinformaticsanimal handlingflow cytometrydata analysis with programming languages (e.g., Python)
Output against the department
Publications153bottom 49% of dept.132nd of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations27ktop 22% of dept.56th of 259
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.