Dr Seo-Kyung Chung

Dr Seo-Kyung Chung
Senior Lecturer
Medicine
Telephone: (01792) 602421
Email: JavaScript is required to view this email address.
Room: Academic Office - 329
Third Floor
Institute of Life Science 1
Singleton Campus

Dr Seo-Kyung Chung is a Senior Lecturer in the Swansea University Medical School (SUMS) where she has established a Molecular Neuroscience Research Team since 2005. She has extensive research experience in investigating cardiac and neurological disorders and worked in various institutions including UCL (UK), the Queensland Brain Institute (Australia) and the University of Auckland Centre for Brain Research (New Zealand).  She has gained her BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science and DipSci (specialised in Bioinformatics) at the University of Auckland. Dr Chung was awarded a PhD in Neuroscience & Genetics in 2010 and recently a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCHE) from Swansea University. She was a recipient of a prestigious Epilepsy Research UK Fellowship in 2011 and a winner of The Age UK Award for Outstanding Impact in Health and Wellbeing in 2015.

Dr Chung is the Swansea representative of the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) and a collaborator in the HCRW BRAIN Unit, Wales Gene Park and Welcome Trust Synaptopathy Programme at UCL. She is a Fellow of Higher Education Academic (FHEA) and a Member of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and the Society for Neuroscience (SFN).  She is interested in creating high-quality neuroscience & genetics programmes integrating current research into teaching.  Her research team offers well-established research / work experience programmes to undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

Please contact Dr Chung (s.chung@swansea.ac.uk) for further information about research projects available in her group.

Areas of Expertise

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Molecular and cellular assays
  • Mutation analysis of neurological disorders
  • Next generation sequencing
  • Biobanking
  • Epilepsy
  • Hyperekplexia
  • Functional characterisation of mutations
  • Neurodevelomental disorders

Publications

  1. & (2018). Expanding the phenotype of TRAK1 mutations: hyperekplexia and refractory status epilepticus. Brain
  2. & (2018). Reply: ATAD1 encephalopathy and stiff baby syndrome: a recognizable clinical presentation. Brain
  3. & (2018). A homozygous ATAD1 mutation impairs postsynaptic AMPA receptor trafficking and causes a lethal encephalopathy. Brain
  4. et. al. (2018). De novo mutations in GRIN1 cause extensive bilateral polymicrogyria. Brain
  5. (2017). Ultra-rare genetic variation in common epilepsies: a case-control sequencing study. The Lancet Neurology 16(2), 135-143.

See more...

Teaching

  • PM-257 Neuroscience

    In order to help students understand the biological basis for behavioural neuroscience and neurological disorders, this module seeks to integrate the multidisciplinary sciences - for example, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry - that have combined to build the emerging field of neuroscience. The aim is to gain a mechanistic and holistic knowledge of the nervous system that builds from the molecular, cellular and developmental, to the systems level. In addition to exploring normal function, this module will introduce common disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems in an integrated way. Students will be guided in exploring the scientific evidence around what is known and unknown and will be introduced to current research findings in the scientific literature.

  • PM-304 Biomolecular Research Project

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  • PM-344 Capstone Project

    The aim of this module is to provide a capstone experience to students¿ learning, through participating in their own enquiry-based research project. Depending on the student's employability strand within the programme, the project may be laboratory, data, or education-based, but it will always involve a research question that is drawn from the literature, focused on a topic relevant to medical science. It will ask a novel research question and involve the critical analysis of research findings. Students will refine their oral and written communication skills to a graduate level through creating an introductory presentation on the project background, and a written dissertation and oral presentation on their research conclusions.

  • PMGM00 Bioinformatics for Genome Analysis

    The module will cover the fundamental principles of informatics and bioinformatics applied to clinical genomics, find and use major genomic and genetic data resources; use software packages, in silico tools, databases and literature searches to align sequence data to the reference genome, critically assess, annotate and interpret findings from genetic and genomic analyses. Theoretical sessions will be coupled with practical assignments of analysing and annotating predefined data sets.

  • PMGM16 Genomics of Common and Rare Inherited Disease

    This module will provide an introduction to the clinical presentation and manifestations of rare inherited and common diseases, and considers the patient and family perspective with respect to the role and impact of genomics. It reviews traditional and current strategies and techniques used to identify genes responsible for both common multifactorial and rare inherited diseases.

Supervision

  • Biobanking neurological conditions in Wales for Genetic Research (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Jonathan Mullins
    Other supervisor: Prof Mark Rees

  • Analysis of potential mRNA splice-affecting gene-variants identified in epilepsy families and cases (current)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Jonathan Mullins
    Other supervisor: Prof Mark Rees

  • Exploring emerging data types for epilepsy research: Electronic Healthcare records, free texts and genetic mutation. (awarded 2018)

    Student name:
    PhD
    Other supervisor: Dr Xianghua Xie
    Other supervisor: Prof Mark Rees

Calling from outside the UK?

+44 1792 602421