The Bosarge Family Foundation-Waun Ki Hong Scholar Award for Regenerative Cancer Medicine represents a joint effort to encourage and support postdoctoral or clinical research fellows to conduct highly novel and provocative research in the field of regenerative cancer medicine and to establish a successful career path in this field. Funded research is directly related to the enhancement of the physiology of cancer survivors.

2025 Grantee

Scientific Statement of Research

Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a severe and often fatal complication of thoracic radiation therapy, marked by alveolar scarring, structural collapse, and respiratory failure. Despite its clinical significance, effective therapeutic interventions remain elusive. Lung regeneration following injury depends on alveolar type II (AT2) epithelial cells, which act as progenitors for alveolar type I (AT1) cells responsible for gas exchange. Disruption of the AT2-to-AT1 transition — a crucial process also called cell plasticity — leads to fibrosis rather than tissue repair. Dr. Seo aims to explore the pharmacological modulation of AT2 cell plasticity as a potential therapeutic approach for RIPF. Utilizing preclinical models, single-cell transcriptomics, and functional pulmonary assessments, she plans to assess the potential of phenelzine, an FDA-approved antidepressant, as a potential activator of alveolar cell plasticity in radiation-induced lung fibrosis.

Biography

Dr. Seo earned her doctorate in cancer biology from Yonsei University, where she investigated cellular plasticity and therapy resistance in colorectal cancer. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She focuses on cell plasticity in tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis, utilizing genetically engineered mouse models, single-cell transcriptomics, and pharmacological interventions. She aims to develop innovative therapeutic strategies for radiation-induced fibrosis and advance translational research in regenerative medicine and oncology.

Acknowledgment of Support

“Receiving the Bosarge Family Foundation-Waun Ki Hong Scholar Award for Regenerative Cancer Medicine will advance my research on pulmonary fibrosis and cellular plasticity. This support enables me to explore novel therapeutic strategies, fostering my growth as an independent investigator and contributing to translational advancements in cancer and regenerative medicine.”