Hongjun Song

Hongjun Song serves as Perelman Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine within the Department of Neuroscience. His laboratory maintains dual appointments with the Department of Neuroscience and is affiliated with multiple graduate groups including Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Neuroscience.

Research Expertise: Dr. Song's laboratory investigates two core areas: (1) neural stem cell regulation and neurogenesis in developing and adult mammalian brains, and (2) epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms in the nervous system. His work explores how dysfunction in these processes contributes to brain disorders. Key methodologies include single-cell genetic approaches, high-throughput sequencing (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, Bisulfite-seq, ATAC-seq), and single-cell RNA-seq bioinformatics pipelines.

Publication Trends: Recent work (2024-2025) demonstrates expansion into organoid modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders, glioblastoma, and Alzheimer's disease, with emphasis on epitranscriptomic regulation (m6A methylation), cross-species neurogenesis comparisons, and therapeutic targeting of epigenetic mechanisms. His publications consistently bridge molecular mechanisms with circuit-level functional outcomes.

• Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship (2022) - Recognized for purposeful, individualized mentoring extending beyond science to trainees' personal lives
• National Academy of Medicine (2020) - Elected for contributions to neuroscience
• AAAS Fellow (2022) - Elected alongside seven other Penn faculty

Mentoring Impact: Dr. Song's laboratory has trained over 50 researchers including 30+ PhD students and postdocs, many now leading independent labs at institutions like UCSF, Mount Sinai, and KAIST. His mentoring philosophy emphasizes helping trainees develop independent research projects they can own, with lab culture fostering collaboration across diverse backgrounds while maintaining scientific rigor. Trainees credit him with supporting career paths aligned with individual interests and skills.

Research Infrastructure: The lab maintains cutting-edge capabilities in single-cell analysis, neural organoid modeling, and epigenetic/epitranscriptomic profiling, with recent focus on human-specific neurogenic mechanisms and therapeutic applications for brain disorders.