Sunghan Lee

Sunghan Lee is a graduate student who studies how sequences in the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) regulate mRNA stability. Sunghan was a co-first author of a study identifying viral RNA elements that enhance the stability and protein output of base-modified mRNAs (Nature Biotechnology, 2026), and of a study showing how SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 recruits the host protein GIGYF2 to support viral protein production (Nucleic Acids Research, 2025). Sunghan has also contributed to work on innate immune responses to mRNA vaccines (Nature Communications, 2024).

His current research combines massively parallel assays with interpretable deep learning to decode the 3′ UTR sequence rules governing mRNA stability and uncover new mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation.

Education

• 2021–present M.S./Ph.D. Student, School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University
• 2018–2021 B.S. in Biological Sciences, Seoul National University

Publications with our lab

• RNA stability enhancers for durable base-modified mRNA therapeutics
  S.-J. Jung¹, J. J. Seo¹, S. Lee¹, S.-I. Hyun, J.-e. Lee, S. Lee, Y. Lee, H. Chang, H. Lee, J.-H. Kim, and V. N. Kim^{✉︎ (corresponding author)}
  Nature Biotechnology (2026), 44(11):1831-1844
• SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 recruits GIGYF2 near viral replication sites and supports viral protein production
  J. Kim¹, Y. Park¹, D. Yoon¹, S. Lee¹, H. Kim¹, K.-Y. Ban, J. Yang, D.-E. Choi, J. Kim, J.-S. Kim, and V. N. Kim^{✉︎ (corresponding author)}
  Nucleic Acids Research (2025), 53(14):gkaf674
• Innate immune responses against mRNA vaccine promote cellular immunity through IFN-β at the injection site
  S. Kim¹, J. H. Jeon¹, M. Kim, Y. Lee, Y.-H. Hwang, M. Park, C. H. Li, T. Lee, J.-A. Lee, Y.-M. Kim, D. Kim, H. Lee, Y.-J. Kim, V. N. Kim, J.-E. Park^{✉︎ (corresponding author)}, and J. Yeo^{✉︎ (corresponding author)}
  Nature Communications (2024), 15(1):7226