Joomyung Jun

Joomyung (Vicky) Jun is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Department of Chemistry within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on developing modular chemical tools for biologics delivery, bridging basic science and translational medicine. She holds a B.Sc. in chemical biology from UC Berkeley, a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, and completed postdoctoral training at MIT under Ron Raines.

Her research interests include small molecule tool development, protein chemistry, intracellular drug delivery, fluorescence imaging, and biomedical nanotechnology. Her lab’s current projects involve reversible protein modification, fluorogenic nanoparticles for cellular uptake studies, and trifunctional activity-based probes for molecular imaging. She teaches Chem 570 (Concepts in Chemical Biology) and has trained students in synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, and interdisciplinary fields like nanotechnology and pharmacology.

Jun has received multiple awards, including the Shurl & Kay Curci Fellowship (2021–2024), MIT Infinite Mile Award (2022), and the International Chemical Biology Society Trainee Presentation Award (2021). Her lab, established in 2024, actively recruits postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates to advance protein therapeutics for undruggable diseases.

Key advising milestones include mentoring her first PhD students (Johnny, Rex, Mahima) since May 2024 and welcoming lab members like Ayushi, Cj, Lamya, and Brittany. Research collaborations span synthetic chemistry, molecular biology, and engineering, with a focus on translating chemical innovations into clinical applications.

The Jun Lab is part of the University of Illinois Chemistry Department, located in RAL 270. Contact: jmjun@illinois.edu.