Jaejin (Joey) Lee

Jaejin earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Myoungji University, Korea, where he developed a rapid method for detecting antibiotic resistance genes. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California, he focused on the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms, particularly in Mtb during persister formation. His work has clarified molecular mechanisms of resistance, aiding in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies, and has been published in leading journals like Nature Communications. Recently, he has developed new therapeutic approaches using lipidomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to study cell wall-mediated drug resistance. The promising results of this research have led Jaejin to co-found Metaba with Philip Sell to further develop and commercialize this technology and bring innovation to the treatment strategy for TB. It is his ongoing commitment to continue efforts and provide his expertise toward the development of novel therapeutics at Metaba.

April 2025