Meet one of our 2025 Fellowship recipients, Haneui Bae, PhD! Dr. Haneui Bae brings a unique blend of academic and industry experience to myotonic dystrophy research. With a PhD from Harvard University in neurobiology, Dr. Bae studied how extracellular matrices influence the maturation of inhibitory neuronal circuits in the mouse brain.

During graduate school, a growing interest in translational research led Dr. Bae to join Tevard Biosciences, a biotech start-up focused on RNA therapeutics for rare genetic disorders like Dravet Syndrome and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Over three years, Dr. Bae led the in vivo team, oversaw preclinical experiments, and contributed to the company's investigational new drug (IND) application, solidifying a commitment to patient-focused research.

Drawn to RNA biology, Dr. Bae joined Dr. Auinash Kalsotra’s lab at the University of Illinois for postdoctoral training. Currently, Dr. Bae is working on the project “Investigating the molecular mechanisms of liver dysfunctions in myotonic dystrophy” and optimizing protein quantification assays and exploring DM1 pathologies in the liver, a largely overlooked organ in DM1 research.

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