Jeong Hun Jo, PhD
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Associate Research ScientistDownloadHi-Res Photo
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Hughes Lab
Advancing research on cilia's role in pancreatic islet cell communication and function.
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Associate Research Scientist
Biography
Jeong Hun Jo, PhD grew up in Busan, South Korea and received a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering as summa cum laude from Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, South Korea. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in 2019 at the School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering in Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Pohang, South Korea. His doctoral thesis was to investigate an age-dependent increase in glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) in mouse pancreatic islets. He joined Hughes Lab in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate right after graduation. After finishing 5-year postdoc, he became a Staff scientist in 2024 and then since July 1st, 2025, he joined new Hughes Lab at Yale as an Associate Research Scientist.
Last Updated on July 25, 2025.
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Staff Scientist
- Washington University School of Medicine (2025)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Washington University School of Medicine (2024)
- PhD
- POSTECH, School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (2019)
- BS
- Gyeongsang National University, Electronic Engineering (2012)
Research
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Overview
Primary cilia are antenna-like structures acting as signaling-transducers in cells. Recently, Hughes Lab reported that beta cell primary cilia regulate glucose homeostasis via paracrine signaling and their motility controls insulin secretion in pancreatic islets. His main research interests are how 1) primary cilia mediate key signaling pathways (ex, Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh), Notch, and GPCR signaling etc.) and 2) primary cilia-relayed molecular mechanisms change between heathy and Type 2 Diabetic human pancreatic islets.
Medical Research Interests
Axonemal Dyneins; Basal Bodies; Centrioles; Cilia; Ciliary Motility Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Islets of Langerhans; Metabolism; Pancreas; Physiology; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Wnt Signaling Pathway
ORCID
0000-0002-1056-0496Hughes Lab
Advancing research on cilia's role in pancreatic islet cell communication and function.
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Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Jeong Hun Jo's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Jeong Hun Jo's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Jeong Hun Jo is interested in exploring.
Jing Hughes, MD, PhD
11Publications
181Citations
Cilia
Islets of Langerhans
Diabetes Mellitus
Pancreas
Publications
Featured Publications
Islet primary cilia motility controls insulin secretion
Cho J, Li Z, Zhu L, Muegge B, Roseman H, Lee E, Utterback T, Woodhams L, Bayly P, Hughes J. Islet primary cilia motility controls insulin secretion. Science Advances 2022, 8: eabq8486. PMID: 36149960, PMCID: PMC9506710, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq8486.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrimary ciliaMotile ciliaMotile cilia genesCiliary gene expressionMotility functionInsulin secretionCell-surface organellesHuman beta cellsMouse pancreatic isletsDynein-drivenCilia genesGlucose-dependent insulin secretionMotor proteinsGene expressionCilia motilityRegulatory roleBeta cellsCiliaPancreatic isletsMotilityAdenosine 5'-triphosphateGlucose metabolismIsletsSecretionFlagellaPrimary cilia control glucose homeostasis via islet paracrine interactions
Hughes J, Cho J, Conway H, DiGruccio M, Ng X, Roseman H, Abreu D, Urano F, Piston D. Primary cilia control glucose homeostasis via islet paracrine interactions. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2020, 117: 8912-8923. PMID: 32253320, PMCID: PMC7184063, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001936117.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrimary ciliaRegulation of ASGlucose homeostasisCilia-dependent signalingCross-regulationCross-talkB cell-intrinsicRegulate insulin secretionInsulin secretionProtein expression profilesCellular processesCellular organellesCellular cross-talkHormone-secreting cellsHeterogeneous cell populationsNutrient metabolismExpression profilesMetabolic tissuesCiliaPathophysiology of diabetesPancreatic isletsHomeostasisCell populationsIsletsParacrine interactionsAxonemal Dynein Visualized in Primary Cilia via Expansion Microscopy
Dong X, Jo J, Hughes J. Axonemal Dynein Visualized in Primary Cilia via Expansion Microscopy. Cytoskeleton 2025 PMID: 40552592, PMCID: PMC12354234, DOI: 10.1002/cm.70004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsPrimary cilia regulate GLP-1 signaling in pancreatic β cells
Melena I, Jo J, Townsend S, DiGruccio S, Dong X, Zhu L, Campbell J, Hughes J. Primary cilia regulate GLP-1 signaling in pancreatic β cells. Molecular Metabolism 2026, 102357. PMID: 41895439, DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2026.102357.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPrimary ciliaG protein-coupled receptorsSignaling compartmentsGLP-1RB cellsInsulin secretionGlucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonistsTargeted inhibitionImmunogold scanning electron microscopyPeptide-1 receptor agonistsResponse to incretinsGLP-1 signalingGlucose-dependent insulin secretionGLP-1R signalingSubcellular organizationGPCR traffickingCilia structureReceptor agonistsGLP-1RAPancreatic B-cellsHuman isletsG-proteinIncretin actionCiliaSecretory deficit
2024
Intravital imaging reveals glucose-dependent cilia movement in pancreatic islets in vivo
Melnyk O, Guo J, Li Z, Jo J, Hughes J, Linnemann A. Intravital imaging reveals glucose-dependent cilia movement in pancreatic islets in vivo. Metabolism 2024, 163: 156105. PMID: 39667431, PMCID: PMC11718731, DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2024.156105.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCilia motilitySignaling capacitySensitive to metabolic stressMetabolic stressPotential functional rolePancreatic isletsMouse pancreatic isletsReal time in vivoIntravital imaging approachesBeta cell adaptationSensory organellesPrimary ciliaCell adaptationActive motilityMulticellular tissuesPancreatic islets in vivoCilia dynamicsMotilityIslet cell functionPancreatic islet cellsFunctional roleGlucose stimulationEnvironmental changesCiliaOrganelles
2022
Fluorescence imaging of beta cell primary cilia
Li Z, Cho J, Woodhams L, Hughes J. Fluorescence imaging of beta cell primary cilia. Frontiers In Endocrinology 2022, 13: 1004136. PMID: 36213262, PMCID: PMC9540379, DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1004136.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrimary ciliaCell-surface organellesLive-cell imagingPancreatic beta cellsIslet biologyGPCR signalingIslet developmentHuman isletsCiliary abundanceBeta cellsCiliaFluorescence imaging methodFluorescence microscopyPancreatic isletsInsulin secretionIntercellular spacesPancreas sectionsIslet cellsIsletsConfocal microscopyCellsCell responsesCalcium influxOrganellesCilia Action in Islets: Lessons From Mouse Models
Cho J, Hughes J. Cilia Action in Islets: Lessons From Mouse Models. Frontiers In Endocrinology 2022, 13: 922983. PMID: 35813631, PMCID: PMC9260721, DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.922983.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPrimary ciliaIslet endocrine cell typesRelevance to human diseaseRegulation of islet hormone secretionEndocrine cell typesCilia functionGPCR signalingPancreatic islet functionHuman diseasesRegulation of pancreatic islet functionCell typesCiliaExternal cuesGenetic deletionIslet hormone secretionExocrine defectsIslet functionIslet cellsComplex roleIsletsMouse modelRegulationDevelopment of diabetesDeletionJuxtacrine
2019
Glutamate decarboxylase 67 contributes to compensatory insulin secretion in aged pancreatic islets.
Cho JH, Lee KM, Lee YI, Nam HG, Jeon WB. Glutamate decarboxylase 67 contributes to compensatory insulin secretion in aged pancreatic islets. Islets 2019, 11: 33-43. PMID: 31084527, DOI: 10.1080/19382014.2019.1599708.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2018
Effect of young exosomes injected in aged mice.
Lee BR, Kim JH, Choi ES, Cho JH, Kim E. Effect of young exosomes injected in aged mice. Int J Nanomedicine 2018, 13: 5335-5345. PMID: 30254438, DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S170680.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2017
Enhanced Therapeutic Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Using Surface-Modified Nanoporous Acupuncture Needles.
Lee BR, Kim HR, Choi ES, Cho JH, Kim NJ, Kim JH, Lee KM, Razzaq A, Choi H, Hwang Y, Grimes CA, Lee BH, Kim E, In SI. Enhanced Therapeutic Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Using Surface-Modified Nanoporous Acupuncture Needles. Sci Rep 2017, 7: 12900. PMID: 29018212, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11213-0.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
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