Soojin Yi

Soojin Yi is a Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focuses on using genomic and epigenomic tools to investigate epigenetic mechanisms in aging and their implications for age-related diseases. She leads the Soojin Yi Lab, which explores epigenetic regulation across diverse species, including marine invertebrates, humans, and primates. Her work bridges evolutionary biology and molecular mechanisms, emphasizing how epigenetic changes contribute to phenotypic variation and disease. She is affiliated with the Center for Aging and Longevity Studies (CALS) and the Neuroscience Research Institute at UCSB.

Her research interests include epigenetic aging, DNA methylation dynamics, and the evolution of regulatory mechanisms. Key projects involve studying how epigenetic marks change during aging and how these changes correlate with conditions like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. She also investigates evolutionary patterns in epigenetic regulation using comparative genomics approaches. Collaborative efforts with CALS and other institutes enhance her interdisciplinary approach.

Dr. Yi’s research has advanced understanding of epigenetic reprogramming in aging, the role of epigenetic variation in disease susceptibility, and the evolutionary conservation/divergence of epigenetic processes across species. Her lab actively engages in genomic sequencing projects for non-model organisms, enhancing comparative epigenetic analyses.

Labs/Teams: Soojin Yi Lab, Center for Aging and Longevity Studies (CALS), Neuroscience Research Institute. Office: 4107 Life Science Building. Contact: soojinyi@ucsb.edu.