Dr. Peter Chung

Dr. Peter Chung

Peter Chung is an Assistant Professor of Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy at the University of Southern California. Professor Chung earned his undergraduate degree in physics at the University of California, Berkely, and received his PhD in physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At the University of Chicago, he studied proteins related to Parkinson’s disease as a Kadanoff-Rice Postdoctoral Fellow.

Professor Chung’s research interests lie in biophysics and neurobiology, particularly looking at its applications in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. His most recent publication, “The C-Terminal Domain of ɑ-Synuclein Confers Steric Stabilization on Synaptic Vesicle-Like Surfaces”, focuses on the clustering structures of, ɑ-Synuclein, a protein linked to Parkinson’s. 

Professor Chung is currently researching how neuronal structures and processes transition from physiology to disease. In order to investigate possible therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s, Professor Chung and his lab are observing neurofibrillary tangles and how they are formed in cells as they are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The application of physics (pressure and forces) at the microscopic level allows for the greater understanding of the biological processes that occur in disease. 

Sources:

https://www.peterchunglab.com/ 

https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/phys/faculty_display.cfm?person_ID=1097608 https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201902151