Hyunil Jo

Hyunil Jo, PhD is a Specialist in the School of Pharmacy at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). His research focuses on integrin signaling, protein design, and therapeutic targeting of disease mechanisms such as hepatic fibrosis and neurodegenerative disorders.

• Education:
  • BS (2001) and MS (2003) in Pharmacy, Seoul National University
  • PhD (2008) in Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests:
Integrin biology dominates his work, with studies on α2β1 and α5β1 integrins in airway disease, renal fibrosis, and vascular smooth muscle function. He also pioneers de novo protein design for drug-binding specificity and uses biophysical probes (e.g., fluorescent amino acids, infrared spectroscopy) to study protein structure and dynamics. His virology work includes SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein analysis, while earlier projects explored malaria and amyloid fibril formation.

Publications (2025-2010):
His 35+ publications span integrin-mediated diseases, custom protein engineering, and structural studies of amyloid and viral proteins. Key journals include Science, Nature Chemical Biology, PNAS, and Cell.

• Awards:
  • Department of Defense Predoctoral Training Award for Prostate Cancer (2005-2008)
• Grants:
  • Principal Investigator, NIH/NIDDK R01DK137892 (2023-2028) - Targeting Acid Ceramidase for Hepatic Fibrogenesis
  • Co-Principal Investigator, NIH R61HL163725 (2022-2024) - Mitigation of Smooth Muscle Force via Integrin Alpha2Beta1 Inhibitors
• Collaborations:
  • Work with William DeGrado (UCSF) on protein engineering
  • Collaborations with Dean Sheppard (UCSF) in integrin research
  • Partnerships in vaccine development and virology projects