معرفی
Dr Hee-Jeon Hong is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at Oxford Brookes University's School of Biological and Medical Sciences. Since joining in January 2016 she has combined undergraduate and postgraduate teaching with internationally-recognised research on molecular microbiology and antibiotic resistance.
Education
- BEng, MEng – undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines.
- DPhil (PhD) – University of East Anglia, 2002 (research conducted at the John Innes Centre).
Research Interests
Dr Hong’s work centres on molecular microbiology, particularly the mechanisms of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Using functional genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, her group dissects how antibiotic challenge remodels gene and protein expression in Streptomyces and related actinomycetes. Key areas include:
- Antimicrobial resistance and development
- Bacterial functional genomics
- Actinomycete biology
- Cell wall homeostasis and stress responses
- Discovery of novel glycopeptide antibiotics
- Zinc-mediated antibiotic potentiation
Her ultimate goal is to translate findings into therapeutic strategies against hospital-acquired pathogens, directly informing public-health interventions.
Research Funding & Awards
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2006–2011, renewed 2011–2015)
- Medical Research Council New Investigator Research Grant (2007–2011)
- Medical Research Council Collaboration Grant (2008–2010, co-applicant)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Research Grant (2003–2006, co-writer)
Teaching & Supervision
Dr Hong contributes to multiple undergraduate and master’s programmes within Biomedical Science, leading modules such as Infection, Immunity and Immunology and Microbiology. She has successfully supervised:
- Samuel Connelly, PhD (2016–2020) – “Genome-wide response of Streptomyces coelicolor to teicoplanin”
- Elisabeth Somers, MSc (2018–2019) – “Sulfated amino lipids against vancomycin-resistant bacteria”
- Héloïse Chat, MSc Erasmus (2018–2019) – “Characterisation of actinomycete strains producing glycopeptide antibiotics”
Outreach & Professional Activities
Between 2016 and 2019 Dr Hong co-led the Microbiology Society’s “Antibiotic Unearthed” school project with UTC Oxfordshire, engaging students in the search for new soil-derived antibiotics. She serves on the scientific advisory board of UC-CARE (University of Copenhagen Research Centre for Control of Antibiotic Resistance) and is an active member of the Microbiology Society, American Society for Microbiology, Microbiology Society of Korea, and Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the UK.
