Jihye Yun, Ph.D.
Department of Genetics, Division of Discovery Science
About Jihye Yun
Jihye Yun, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She received her Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Bert Vogelstein at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Lewis Cantley at Harvard Medical School and Weill Cornell Medicine as a Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellow. During this time, she published two first-author papers in Science, each cited more than 1,000 times and subsequently validated in clinical settings. These foundational studies established her long-standing research focus on how diet and metabolism influence colorectal cancer development.
In 2018, Dr. Yun launched her independent laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine as a first-time CPRIT Recruitment Awardee and joined MD Anderson in 2022 to further expand the translational impact of her research. Since then, she has established strong collaborations with clinicians and researchers and has led a project within the Colorectal Cancer Moon Shot Program. Her laboratory has published in high-impact journals, including Science and Nature Metabolism, and she has received multiple prestigious awards, including the Pew–Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research Award, the V Scholar Award, and the Sabin Family Foundation Award.
Dr. Yun’s research aims to define how dietary factors shape colorectal cancer initiation and progression to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Her laboratory investigates how specific dietary exposures promote tumor development both directly, through metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells, and indirectly, through modulation of the gut microbiome and immune system. By integrating multi-omics approaches with mechanistic mouse models and translational human studies, her team aims to decode the intricate relationships within the diet–microbiota–tumor axis to develop clinically translatable dietary and metabolic strategies for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer and other intestinal diseases, including colitis.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Faculty, Genetics and Epigenetics Graduate Program (G&E), Cancer Biology Graduate Program (CBP) UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2010 | Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, US, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Ph.D |
Postgraduate Training
| 2012-2016 | Postdoctoral Associate, Weill Cornell Medical College, Meyer Cancer Center, New York, New York |
| 2011-2012 | Postdoctoral Associate, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2022 - 2026
Assistant Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2022
Instructor, Cancer Biology, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 2016 - 2018
Intramural Institutional Committee Activities
Committee Member, Odyssey Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Co-Host and Organizer, Research Exchange Seminar Series Department of Genetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024 - Present
Host and Faculty Mentor, G&E Graduate Program Rotation Talk Series, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Committee Member & Institutional Representative, Internal Selection Committee Member & Institutional Representative, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2023 - Present
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Committee member, Faculty Search Committee Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Baylor College of Medicine, 2019 - 2021
Editorial Activities
Editorial Board Member, Genes & Diseases (Elsevier), 2025 - Present
Editorial Board Member, Nutrition and Cancer (Taylor & Francis), 2021 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2023 | Andrew Sabin Family Fellowship Award, Andrew Sabin Family Foundation |
| 2022 | Rising UT STARs Award, University of Texas |
| 2021 | Phi Beta Psi Award for Cancer Research, Phi Beta Psi Charity Trust |
| 2020 | Career Enhancement Program Research Award, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2020 | Pew-Stewart Scholar Award for Cancer Research, Pew Charitable Trusts |
| 2019 | Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award (Honorary Mention, 3rd Place), Genetics Society of America |
| 2019 | V Scholar Award for Cancer Research, V foundation for Cancer Research |
| 2017 | Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members Award, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| 2017 | 1st Place winner in 2017 Young Investigators Award in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College |
| 2014 | 1st Place winner in Successful and Productive Academic Research Careers, (SPARC) Conference |
| 2014 | CTSC KL2 Scholars Award, NIH Mentored Career Development Program Weill Cornell Medical College |
| 2013 | Scholar-in-Training Award, Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research |
| 2011 | Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, Damon Runyon Cancer Research |
| 2010 | 1st Place winner in Basic Research, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) Fellow Research Day |
| 2010 | Young Investigator Award (Mette Strand Research Award), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine |
| 2009 | Scholars-In-Training-Award, AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) Special Meeting |
| 2009 | Outstanding Research Award, BLSA (Baltimore Life Scientist Association) Annual Meeting |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Colorectal Cancer Moon Shot Program. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Sugary Drinks and Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Moon Shots Scientific Seminar Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Research Town Hall. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. SORD mediates the metastatic effects of High-fructose corn syrup in colorectal cancer. Invited. Genetics and Systems Biology Joint Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Microbiome and Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Research Town Hall Presentation. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Sugary Drinks and CRC metastasis. Invited. MD Anderson-Princess Margaret Joint Symposium on Cancer Metabolism. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Sugar and CRC. Invited. CCSG Gastrointestinal Program Research Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Effects of Sugary Drinks on CRC. Invited. NCI-GI SPORE Investigator Annual Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2021. Sugar, Microbiome and CRC. Invited. Gastrointestinal/Pancreas/NET SPORE Meeting. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Sugar, Microbiome and CRC. Invited. Research Exchange Seminar Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. Sugary drinks and CRC Development. Invited. MCO Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. Sugar: Does it cause cancer?. Invited. 8th Annual Metabolism in Cancer Symposium,. Houston, Texas, US.
Regional Presentations
- 2022. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Baylor Students Against Cancer (BSAC). Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Sugar, Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer. Visiting. USDA-ARS Site Visit Children’s Nutrition Research Center, US.
- 2021. Sweet Danger of Sugary Drinks in Colorectal Cancer Development. Conference. USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Effects of Sugary Drinks on Colorectal Cancer Development. Conference. Pediatric Gastroenterology Research Workshop. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2020. Sugary Drinks and Colon Cancer. Invited. Wellness Webinar, Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Awareness. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. High-Dose Vitamin C as a Targeted Cancer Therapy. Invited. 4th Annual Korean Women in Science & Engineering Annual Conference. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Invited. Baylor College of Medicine, PhD Program Retreat, Research Conference. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Invited. Human Genetics Center (HGC) Seminar. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2019. Sugary Drinks Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Conference. Molecular and Human Genetics (MHG) Annual Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Sugary Drinks Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Conference. Molecular and Cellular Biology, R&D Seminar. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Invited. Texas Medical Center, Digestive Disease Center, Gastroenterology Research Forum Houston, TX. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2018. Effects of Diet on Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Korean-American Bio-medical Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2026. Sweet Danger of Sugary Drinks on Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Charlottesville, VA, US.
- 2024. How Sugary Drinks Fuel the Spread of Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Pew Biomedical Programs Annual Retreat Meeting. Tucson, Arizona, US.
- 2023. Vitamin C, Microbiome, and Colitis. Invited. Cantley Laboratory Scientific Retreat. Cape cod, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, US.
- 2021. Sweet Danger of Sugary Drinks in Colorectal Cancer Development. Invited. Annual Gastrointestinal (GI) SPORE Investigator Meeting, US.
- 2019. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Invited. Clinical & Translation Science Center (CTSC). New York, New York, US.
- 2019. High-Fructose Corn Syrup Enhance Intestinal Tumor Growth. Invited. Tumor Metabolism, Keystone Symposia. Keystone, Col, US.
- 2017. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Columbia University, School of Medicine, Institute for Cancer Genetics. New York, New York, US.
- 2017. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Cold Spring Harbor, New York, US.
- 2016. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Harvard Public School of Medicine, Genetics and Complex Disease. Boston, Massachusetts, US.
- 2016. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Yale University, Cancer Biology Institute. New Heaven, Connecticut, US.
- 2016. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Princeton University, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics,. Princeton, New Jersey, US.
- 2015. Diet and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Tri-institutions Cancer Metabolism Symposium, University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
- 2014. Tumor Metabolism: High-Dose Vitamin C as a Targeted Cancer Therapy. Invited. AACR Annual Meeting. San Diego, Texas, US.
International Presentations
- 2019. Sweet Danger of Sugary Drinks. Invited. 7th Helmholtz Diabetes Conference. Munich, DE.
- 2015. High-Dose Vitamin C as a Targeted Cancer Therapy. Invited. Molecular and Cellular Biology International Conference of the Korean Society. Seoul.
Formal Peers
- 2021. Vitamin C, Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Visiting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2020. Sugar, Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2020. Effects of Sugary Drinks on Colorectal Cancer Development. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2020. Sugar, Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2019. Diet, Microbiome and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Houston, TX, US.
- 2017. Sugar and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. New York, NY, US.
- 2016. Vitamin C and Colorectal Cancer. Invited, NY, US.
- 2016. Vitamin C and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Boston, MA, US.
- 2016. Diet and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. New Haven, CT, US.
- 2016. Diet and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Princeton, NJ, US.
- 2010. Young Investigators’ Day Awards Ceremony. Visiting. Baltimore, MD, US.
- 2009. Diet and Colorectal Cancer. Invited. Cambridge, MA, US.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2023 - 2025 |
| Title: | Role of dietary sugar in humanized Apc mutant mice |
| Funding Source: | Colorectal Cancer Moonshot |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2023 - 2028 |
| Title: | Effects of Sugary Drinks on Colorectal Cancer Metastasis via SORD |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | R01 CA262437 |
| Date: | 2023 - 2026 |
| Title: | Hidden Hunger: Effects of Micronutrients on Colorectal Cancer Sabin Family Fellowship Award |
| Funding Source: | Andrew Sabin Family Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2022 - 2025 |
| Title: | UT STARS |
| Funding Source: | UT STARS Award, UTMDACC |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2021 - 2025 |
| Title: | Impact of Sugary Drinks on Colorectal Cancer Development |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2021 - 2024 |
| Title: | Decoding the Sugar-Microbiome-Cancer Connection |
| Funding Source: | Phi Beta Psi Charity Trust |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2020 - 2026 |
| Title: | Effects of Sugary Drinks on Intestinal Microbiome, Pew-Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research |
| Funding Source: | Pew Charitable Trusts |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2020 - 2022 |
| Title: | Children's Nutrition Research Center/BCM Grant |
| Funding Source: | USDA/ARS |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2020 - 2021 |
| Title: | Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCC) Pilot Project Award |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-I |
| ID: | P30 CA125123-14 |
| Date: | 2019 - 2023 |
| Title: | MD Anderson Cancer Center SPORE in Gastrointestinal Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-I |
| ID: | 5 P50 CA221707-02 |
| Date: | 2019 - 2022 |
| Title: | V Scholar for Cancer Research |
| Funding Source: | V Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2018 - 2021 |
| Title: | NCI Transition Career Development Award |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| ID: | 5 K22 CA216036-03 |
| Date: | 2017 - 2022 |
| Title: | Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members Awards |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2014 - 2016 |
| Title: | KL2 Scholars Postdoctoral Award, Weill Cornell Medicine |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | PI |
| Date: | 2011 - 2014 |
| Title: | Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship |
| Funding Source: | Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation |
| Role: | PI |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Feng T, Luo Q, Liu Y, Jin Z, Skwarchuk D, Lee R, Nam M, Asara JM, Adye DR, Lorenzi PL, Tan L, Pei G, Zhao Z, Zarrin-Khameh N, Paulucci-Holthauzen A, Simons BW, Lee JS, Kopetz S, Yun J. Fructose and glucose from sugary drinks enhance colorectal cancer metastasis via SORD. Nat Metab 7(10):2018-2032, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40973819.
- Tsai HY, Chen MH, Yun J, Lai LA, Valentine JF, Bronner MP, Brentnall TA, Pan S, Chen R. Restricting metabolic plasticity enhances stress adaptation through the modulation of PDH and HIF1A in TRAP1-depleted colon cancer. Cancer Lett 632:217977, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40789509.
- Zhang C, Yu R, Li S, Yuan M, Hu T, Liu J, Ke H, Ye S, Yun J, Huang J, Liang G, Chen S, Wu X, Lan P. KRAS mutation increases histone H3 lysine 9 lactylation (H3K9la) to promote colorectal cancer progression by facilitating cholesterol transporter GRAMD1A expression. Cell Death Differ 32(12):2225-2238, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40707783.
- Goncalves MD, Lu C, Tutnauer J, Hartman TE, Hwang SK, Murphy CJ, Pauli C, Morris R, Taylor S, Bosch K, Yang S, Wang Y, Van Riper J, Lekaye HC, Roper J, Kim Y, Chen Q, Gross SS, Rhee KY, Cantley LC, Yun J. High-fructose corn syrup enhances intestinal tumor growth in mice. Science 363(6433):1345-1349, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30898933.
- Shim H, Wu C, Ramsamooj S, Bosch KN, Chen Z, Emerling BM, Yun J, Liu H, Choo-Wing R, Yang Z, Wulf GM, Kuchroo VK, Cantley LC. Deletion of the gene Pip4k2c, a novel phosphatidylinositol kinase, results in hyperactivation of the immune system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113(27):7596-601, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27313209.
- Yun J, Mullarky E, Lu C, Bosch KN, Kavalier A, Rivera K, Roper J, Chio II, Giannopoulou EG, Rago C, Muley A, Asara JM, Paik J, Elemento O, Chen Z, Pappin DJ, Dow LE, Papadopoulos N, Gross SS, Cantley LC. Vitamin C selectively kills KRAS and BRAF mutant colorectal cancer cells by targeting GAPDH. Science 350(6266):1391-6, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26541605.
- Roper J, Sinnamon MJ, Coffee EM, Belmont P, Keung L, Georgeon-Richard L, Wang WV, Faber AC, Yun J, ÖH Y, Bronson RT, Martin ES, Tsichlis PN, Hung KE. Combination PI3K/MEK inhibition promotes tumor apoptosis and regression in PIK3CA wild-type, KRAS mutant colorectal cancer. Cancer Lett 347(2):204-11, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24576621.
- Parkhitko AA, Priolo C, Coloff JL, Yun J, Wu JJ, Mizumura K, Xu W, Malinowska IA, Yu J, Kwiatkowski DJ, Locasale JW, Asara JM, Choi AM, Finkel T, Henske EP. Autophagy-dependent metabolic reprogramming sensitizes TSC2-deficient cells to the antimetabolite 6-aminonicotinamide. Mol Cancer Res 12(1):48-57, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24296756.
- Yun J, Rago C, Cheong I, Pagliarini R, Angenendt P, Rajagopalan H, Schmidt K, Willson JK, Markowitz S, Zhou S, Diaz LA, Velculescu VE, Lengauer C, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Papadopoulos N. Glucose deprivation contributes to the development of KRAS pathway mutations in tumor cells. Science 325(5947):1555-9, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19661383.
- Lee YJ, Hong KH, Yun J, Oh SP. Generation of activin receptor type IIB isoform-specific hypomorphic alleles. Genesis 44(10):487-94, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16991118.
- Seki T, Hong KH, Yun J, Kim SJ, Oh SP. Isolation of a regulatory region of activin receptor-like kinase 1 gene sufficient for arterial endothelium-specific expression. Circ Res 94(8):e72-7, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15059937.
- Seki T, Yun J, Oh SP. Arterial endothelium-specific activin receptor-like kinase 1 expression suggests its role in arterialization and vascular remodeling. Circ Res 93(7):682-9, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 12970115.
- Yun J, Park CW, Lee YJ, Chung JH. Allele-specific methylation at the promoter-associated CpG island of mouse Copg2. Mamm Genome 14(6):376-82, 2003. e-Pub 2003. PMID: 12879359.
- Kim J, Hahn Y, Sohn EH, Lee YJ, Yun JH, Kim JM, Chung JH. Phenotypic variation of a Thr704Met mutation in skeletal sodium channel gene in a family with paralysis periodica paramyotonica. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 70(5):618-23, 2001. e-Pub 2001. PMID: 11309455.
- Hahn Y, Lee YJ, Yun JH, Yang SK, Park CW, Mita K, Huh TL, Rhee M, Chung JH. Duplication of genes encoding non-clathrin coat protein gamma-COP in vertebrate, insect and plant evolution. FEBS Lett 482(1-2):31-6, 2000. e-Pub 2000. PMID: 11018518.
- Lee YJ, Park CW, Hahn Y, Park J, Lee J, Yun JH, Hyun B, Chung JH. Mit1/Lb9 and Copg2, new members of mouse imprinted genes closely linked to Peg1/Mest(1). FEBS Lett 472(2-3):230-4, 2000. e-Pub 2000. PMID: 10788617.
- Lee J, Hahn Y, Yun JH, Mita K, Chung JH. Characterization of JDP genes, an evolutionarily conserved J domain-only protein family, from human and moths. Biochim Biophys Acta 1491(1-3):355-63, 2000. e-Pub 2000. PMID: 10760603.
Invited Articles
- Ngo B, Van Riper JM, Cantley LC, Yun J. Targeting cancer vulnerabilities with high-dose vitamin C. Nat Rev Cancer 19(5):271-282, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 30967651.
- Yun J, Johnson JL, Hanigan CL, Locasale JW. Interactions between epigenetics and metabolism in cancers. Front Oncol 2:163, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23162793.
- Yun J. Allosteric AKT inhibitors as a targeted cancer therapy. Cancer Biol Ther 9(7):504-6, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20484970.
Book Chapters
- Yun J, George P, Brown E, Klempner S, Cantley LC. MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF COLORECTAL CANCER. In: MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF COLORECTAL CANCER, 2013.
Patents
- Goncalves M, Cantley LC, Yun J. Anti-fructose therapy for colorectal and small intestine cancers. Patent Number: 1676.145US1.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified August 31, 2026