Although he was born in South Korea, Suk Namkung was inspired to pursue a scientific career based on his experiences growing up in Kenya and Uganda.
“In Uganda, we went through quarantines due to multiple Ebola outbreaks,” Namkung said. “HIV, tuberculosis and malaria were just everyday conversations. I thought If I worked on drugs to cure diseases, I could have a wider impact not just in Uganda, but around the world.”
A PhD candidate in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Namkung is working toward improving viral vectors for gene therapy, a technique that modifies a person’s genes to treat various diseases. He wants to make the process safer and more efficient.
“It will be a dream to implement it in clinical trials and for patients,” Namkung said.
Namkung earned a degree in biology from Baylor University and returned to South Korea to complete the military service required of all male citizens. For two years, he worked in the air defense and airspace management cell as part of the Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army. He then worked with epidemiologists from Africa at the International Vaccine Institute in South Korea before earning his master’s degree in molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“I was fascinated by malarial parasites under the microscope—their lifecycle was mind-blowing,” Namkung said.
He chose to enter the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program at UMass Chan to explore and integrate different fields into his research.
“I started looking at pioneers in the gene therapy field and I always came back to UMass Chan and its faculty members who are forerunners in gene therapy research,” Namkung said.
Namkung works in the lab of Guangping Gao, PhD, the Penelope Booth Rockwell Professor in Biomedical Research, professor of microbiology & physiological systems, director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center and director of the Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research. He is co-mentored by Phillip Tai, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology & physiological systems.
“Almost every disease can benefit from advancement of viral vectors and gene therapy,” said Namkung. “By studying the genome of the adeno-associated virus, we can generate the next generation of virus vectors.”
Namkung, the proud father of a 5-year-old son, June, said earning his PhD while juggling parenthood is something he’s been able to balance with the support of his principal investigators and his wife, Sanghee Song.
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
