Eunjung (Alice) LeeView profile
Associate Professor
Eunjung (Alice) Lee, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She serves as a member of the Global Faculty at the University of Cologne, specifically affiliated with their Core Profile Area on Aging-Associated Diseases and the CECAD Cluster of Excellence focused on cellular stress responses in aging-associated diseases. Dr. Lee received her PhD in Bioinformatics from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), conducting research in integrative systems biology with Trey Ideker at the University of California, San Diego. She completed her postdoctoral training with Peter J. Park at Harvard Medical School. Her educational background combines computational expertise with biological applications, establishing her unique position at the intersection of bioinformatics and disease mechanisms. Dr. Lee's research program centers on elucidating the role of transposable elements and somatic mutations in human pathologies including cancer, aging processes, and neurodegenerative conditions. Her laboratory has pioneered computational methods for analyzing cancer whole genome and single-neuron genome sequencing data, making landmark discoveries about somatic retrotransposition in human cancers and the brain. Her team has demonstrated how transposons influence disease through multiple mechanisms including shaping cancer immunity, generating novel molecules via alternative splicing in human tissues and cancers, and contributing to rare diseases through RNA splicing alterations. Currently, her research focuses on developing intervention strategies targeting these mechanisms and investigating somatic mutation patterns in neurodegenerative conditions using cutting-edge single-cell genomic technologies. Analysis of Dr. Lee's publication record reveals a strategic progression from foundational discoveries about somatic retrotransposition in cancers to increasingly sophisticated investigations of genomic mosaicism across diverse disease contexts. Her work consistently bridges computational innovation with biological insight, with recent publications emphasizing single-cell resolution of somatic mutations in neurodegeneration and DNA repair disorders. The research demonstrates growing methodological sophistication and clinical relevance, particularly in connecting genomic instability mechanisms to potential therapeutic approaches. NIH New Innovator Award (DP2) recognizing high-impact, early-stage investigation Leadership of transposon analysis working group in the SMaHT (Somatic Mosaicism Across Human Tissue) Network, an NIH consortium Co-organizer of the inaugural Keystone meeting on somatic mosaicism (2025) Regularly invited speaker at major international conferences on transposons, genomics, and genetics Dr. Lee leads an active research program developing and applying computational genomics methods to investigate somatic genomic variation. Her laboratory maintains strong connections with the broader scientific community through leadership roles in national consortia and conference organization. She is actively shaping the emerging field of somatic mosaicism research, with particular emphasis on translating basic genomic discoveries into potential clinical applications for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Her work bridges multiple disciplines including computational biology, cancer genomics, neuroscience, and aging research.
