I grew up in South Korea and came to the US for college, back when my country was better known for StarCraft than for K-pop.

I started in high energy theory and moved to biophysics partway through my PhD, mostly because I wanted to run simple experiments by myself to test my own theoretical predictions. 

I did not learn to drive or ride a bike until a few years ago, so for a long time I got everywhere on foot. I still prefer it, and I run in the mornings.

At home, I love to spend time with my twin babies born in spring 2026. They were also my top collaborators in their first few months, as much of my thinking happened while I was feeding or burping them through the nights.