Su Yong Jung

Su Yon Jung, PhD

Associate Professor

Phone 310-825-2840

About

Dr. Su Yon Jung is an Associate Professor in the UCLA School of Nursing and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Dr. Jung is a faulty member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Genetics & Genomics Graduate Program in Bioscience. Dr. Jung is a molecular genomic cancer epidemiologist. During her graduate studies in Pittsburgh and later, she accumulated an array of research experiences in hospital-based multiple cancer cohorts for cancer treatment and prognosis. Dr. Jung completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Jung’s research at UCLA has focused on examining cancer-related metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers associated with lifestyle factors as cancer prevention strategies. Her current genetic and epigenetic studies evaluate the interplay of environmental/behavioral factors and genetic/epigenetic markers on molecular pathways, leading to cancer carcinogenesis and progression, which will contribute to the development of genetically/epigenetically targeted preventive interventions.

Faculty Research Expertise

Research

  1. Cancer-related molecular biomarkers, particularly focusing on glucose tolerance, immune response, and inflammation
  2. Cancer genomics and epigenomics, examining the effect of interactions with lifestyle factors
  3. Cancer health disparities, addressing the current dearth of genetic and epigenetic research in medically and scientifically underrepresented subpopulations
  4. Study design, data quality assurance, machine-learning approaches for big data, genomic/epigenetic statistics, pathway-based association, and gene-environment interaction to reveal the complicated molecular pathways of cancer.

Methodology

Research design, Multivariate modeling, Survival, Machine-learning approach for a big data, RF/CART, Mediation/Baron-Kenny approach, genomic/epigenetic statistics, gene-environment interaction

Education

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, Postdoctoral fellow, 2014, Epidemiology

University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health, PhD, 2010, Epidemiology

The Catholic University of Korea, Graduate School of Public Health, MPH, 2002, Public Health

The Catholic University of Korea, College of Nursing BSN, 1993, Nursing

Medical Licensure:

  • Registered Profession Nurse, California State Board, 2015
  • Registered Professional Nurse, New York State Board, 2005
  • Registered Nurse, Korean Nurses Association, 1993

Honors and Awards

  • 2024 | UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, Seed Grant
  • 2022 | UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, Special Breast Cancer Grant
  • 05/10/2019-04/30/2022 | NIH K01 NR017852, Principal Investigator
  • 2018 | UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) grant (CRN-18-522722) for 2018-2019 academic year
  • 2016 | The 2016 Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting, Obesity & Caner Section & American Institute for Cancer Research Poster Competition Winner, New Orleans, LA
  • 2016  | UCLA Hellman Fellows Award for 2016-17 academic year
  • 2015  | UCLA Faculty Career Development Award for 2015-16 academic year
  • 2013 | Scholar-in-Training Award, The 12th Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, American Association of Cancer Research, National Harbor, MD
  • 2012 Fellowship recipient (NCI R21), Department of Epidemiology, Division of Cancer Prevention and population sciences, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles (selected)

Jung SY, Bhatti P, Pellegrini M. DNA methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes for the association with glucose metabolism and invasive breast cancer. Clin Epigenetics. Feb 13 2023;15(1):23. doi:10.1186/s13148-023-01435-7

Kim DH, Binder AM, Zhou H, Jung SY. DNA methylation patterns associated with breast cancer prognosis that are specific to tumor subtype and menopausal status. Front Genet. 2023;14:1133443. doi:10.3389/fgene.2023.1133443

Jung SY, Papp JC, Sobel EM, Zhang ZF. Post Genome-Wide Gene-Environment Interaction Study Using Random Survival Forest: Insulin Resistance, Lifestyle Factors, and Colorectal Cancer Risk. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2019 Dec;12(12):877-90.Epub 2019 Sep 25.

Liu X, Baecker A, Wu M, Zhou JY, Yang J, Han RQ, Wang PH, Liu AM, Gu X, Zhang XF, Wang XS, Su M, Hu X, Sun Z, Li G, Jin ZY, Jung SY, Mu L, He N, Lu QY, Li L, Zhao JK, Zhang ZF. Raw Garlic Consumption and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Eastern China. Nutrients. 2019 Aug;11(9). doi: 10.3390/nu11092038.

Liu X, Baecker A, Wu M, Zhou JY, Yang J, Han RQ, Wang PH, Jin ZY, Liu AM, Gu X, Zhang XF, Wang XS, Su M, Hu X, Sun Z, Li G, Fu A, Jung SY, Mu L, He N, Li L, Zhao JK, and Zhang Z. Family history of liver cancer may modify the association between HBV infection and liver cancer in a Chinese population. Liver International.  2019 Aug; 39(8): 1490-1503. Epub 2019 Jul 10.

Jung SY and Zhang Z. The effects of genetic variants related to insulin metabolism pathways and the interactions with lifestyles on colorectal cancer risk. Menopause. 2019 Jul; 26(7):771-780.

Jung SY, Mancuso N, Papp JC, Sobel EM, and Zhang Z. Post genome-wide gene-environment interaction study: the effect of genetically driven insulin resistance on breast cancer risk using Mendelian randomization. PLoS One. 2019 June; 14(6):e0218917.

Jung SY, Papp JC, Sobel EM, Yu H, and Zhang Z. Breast cancer risk and insulin resistance: post genome-wide gene-environment interaction study using a random survival forest. Cancer Research. 2019 Mar: 79(10):2784-2794. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Jung SY, Mancuso N, Yu H, Papp J, Sobel E, and Zhang Z. Genome-wide meta-analysis of gene-environmental interaction for insulin-resistance phenotypes and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Cancer Prevention Research. 2019 Jan; 12(1):31-42. Epub 2018 Oct 16.

Jung SY, Papp JC, Sobel EM, and Zhang Z. Genetic variants in metabolic signaling pathways and their interaction with lifestyle factors on breast cancer risk: A random survival forest analysis. Cancer Prevention Research. 2018 Jan;11(1):44-51. Epub 2017 Oct 26.

Jung SY, Ho G, Rohan T, Strickler H, Bea J, Papp JC, Sobel EM, Zhang Z, and Crandall CJ. Genetic variants and traits related to insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin resistance and their interaction with lifestyles on postmenopausal colorectal cancer risk.. PLoS One. 2017 Oct;12(10):e0186296.

Jung SY, Ho G, Rohan T, Strickler H, Bea J, Papp JC, Sobel EM, Zhang Z, and Crandall CJ. Interaction of insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin resistance–related genetic variants with obesity and lifestyle factors on postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2017 Jul; 164(2):475-495. E-pub 2017 May 6.

Jung SY, Sobel EM, Papp JC, and Zhang Z. Effect of genetic variants and traits related to glucose metabolism and their interaction with obesity on breast and colorectal cancer risk among postmenopausal women. BMC Cancer. 2017 Apr; 17(1):290. [Epub ahead of print].

Jung SY, Barrington WE, Lane DS, Chen C, Chlebowski R, Corbie-Smith G, Hou L, Zhang Z, Paek M, and Crandall CJ. Bioavailable insulin-like growth factor-I as mediator of racial disparity in obesity-relevant breast and colorectal cancer risk among postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2017 Mar; 24(3):288-298.

Jung SY, Sobel EM, Papp JC, Crandall CJ, Fu AN, and Zhang Z. Obesity and associated lifestyles modify the effect of glucose metabolism-related genetic variants on impaired glucose homeostasis among postmenopausal women. Genetic Epidemiology. 2016 Sep; 40(6):520-530. E-pub 2016 Jul 5.

Jung SY, Vitolins MZ, Fenton J, Frazier-Wood AC, Hursting S, and Chang S. Risk profiles for weight gain among postmenopausal women: a classification and regression tree analysis approach. PLoS One. 2015 Mar: e0121430.

Frazier-Wood AC*, Kim J*, Davis J, Jung SY, and Chang S. In cross-sectional observations, dietary quality is not associated with CVD risk in women; in men, the positive association is accounted for by BMI. British Journal of Nutrition. 2015 Apr; 113(8):1244-1253. E-pub 2015 Mar 27.

Jung SY, Vitolins MZ, Paskett ED, and Chang S. Exogenous estrogen as mediator of racial differences in bioactive insulin-like growth factor-I levels among postmenopausal women. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2015 Apr; 70(4):495-502. E-pub 2014 Sep 18.

Jung SY. Challenges in epidemiological and statistical evaluations of effect modifiers and confounders. Frontiers in Public Health, Epidemiology Section. 2014 Dec; 2(227):1-2.

Jung SY*, Paxton RJ*, Vitolins MZ, Fenton J, Paskett ED, Pollak M, Hays-Grudo J, Hursting S, and Chang S. Associations between time spent sitting and cancer-related biomarkers in postmenopausal women: an exploration of effect modifiers. Cancer Causes & Control. 2014 Nov; 25(11):1427-1437. E-pub 2014 Sep 20.

Jung SY, Hursting S, Guindani M, Vitolins MZ, Paskett ED, Chang S. Bioavailable insulin-like growth factor-I inversely related to weight gain in postmenopausal women regardless of exogenous estrogen. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2014 Mar; 23(3):534-544. E-pub 2013 Dec 20.

Davis JS, Jung SY, and Chang S. High- and low-fat dietary intake, recurrence, and mortality after breast cancer diagnosis: Kroenke CH, Kwan ML, Sweeney C, et al. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 105:616-623, 2013. Breast Diseases: a YB Quarterly. 2013 Dec; 24(4):326-327.

Jung SY*, Rosenzweigh MQ*. Sequential metastatic breast cancer chemotherapy: should the median be the message? Frontiers in Public Health. 2013 Nov; 1(49):1-7.

Van Panhuis WG, Grefenstette J, Jung SY, Chock NS, Cross A, Eng H, Lee BY, Zadorozhny V, Brown S, Cummings D, and Burke DS. Contagious diseases in the United States from 1888 to the present. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2013 Nov; 369(22):2152-8.

Jung SY, Rosenzweig MQ, Linkov F, Brufsky A, Weissfeld JL, and Sereika SM. Comorbidity as a potential mediator of survival disparity between younger and older women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Hypertension. 2012 Feb; 59(2):205-211. E-pub 2011 Dec 19.

Jung SY, Rosenzweig MQ, Sereika SM, Linkov F, Brufsky A, and Weissfeld JL. Factors associated with mortality after breast cancer metastasis. Cancer Causes & Control. 2012 Jan; 23(1):103-12. E- pub 2011 Oct 29.

Jung SY, Sereika SM, Linkov F, Brufsky A, Weissfeld JL, and Rosenzweig MQ. The effect of delays in treatment for breast cancer metastasis on survival. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2011 Dec; 130(3):953-64. E-pub 2011 Jul 8.