Jae is a lifelong RNA enthusiast. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Korea University in South Korea, where he conducted his graduate research with Professor Young-Sik Lee. During his graduate studies, he developed expertise in genetics and biochemistry, became the first to identify and characterize the Drosophila mRNA cap-1 methyltransferase, and subsequently uncovered its unexpected role in the RNA interference pathway.

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He then moved to New York City for postdoctoral training with Professor Eric C. Lai at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During his postdoctoral work, Jae expanded his research across diverse areas of RNA biology, including RNA metabolism, RNA modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Most notably, he uncovered an unexpected connection between heme metabolism and RNA regulation, identifying the heme biosynthetic enzyme ALAS1 as a regulator of miRNA and siRNA pathways. His postdoctoral research resulted in six first or co-first author publications in leading scientific journals.

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Jae has received several awards recognizing his research, including the Tri-Institutional Breakout Prize for Junior Investigators, the MSK Postdoctoral Researcher Award, the MSK Society Scholars Prize, and a New York State Stem Cell Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. He was also selected as a Finalist for the Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists in Life Sciences.

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In 2027, Jae launched the Lee Lab at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, where the lab explores the emerging interface between RNA biology and cellular metabolism. The Lee Lab is particularly interested in discovering how metabolites, metabolic enzymes, and cellular metabolic states shape RNA function.

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A major long-term goal is to determine whether these mechanisms can be exploited therapeutically. The lab is particularly interested in developing strategies that manipulate RNA-metabolism crosstalk to enhance RNA therapeutics and uncover new vulnerabilities in cancer and other diseases. Extending this interest beyond academia, Jae co-founded Beringia Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotechnology company developing new strategies to enhance RNAi therapeutics.

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Jae believes that many exciting discoveries begin with observations that do not fit neatly into existing models. He encourages lab members to follow unexpected results, ask ambitious questions, embrace unconventional ideas, and approach science with a creative mindset while developing their own scientific identities.

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Outside the lab, Jae enjoys traveling, exploring cities, finding good food, and making the most of Singapore’s endless summer with outdoor workouts.