People

Steve (Ssang-Taek) Lim, Ph. D, Principal Investigator

Dr. Lim received his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Seoul National University, South Korea, and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2003. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute’s Department of Immunology and the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center where he became an Assistant Project Scientist before joining the University of South Alabama’s faculty as Assistant Professor in 2012 and earning promotion as Associate Professor in 2019. Then, he started his new position to the Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2022.

James Murphy, Ph.D (August 2018-present), Postdoctoral fellow

James received his bachelor’s and master’s in mathematics from Spring Hill College and the University of South Alabama, respectively. In 2018, James graduated with a Ph.D. in basic medical science from the University of South Alabama. He has been a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Lim’s lab since 2018 and followed the lab when it moved to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2022.

While not in the lab, James enjoys watching sports and hanging out with friends.

Ly Nguyen, Ph.D (September 2023-present), Postdoctoral fellow

Ly finished her Bachelor’s degree from University of Science, Hanoi, Vietnam in 2017. Then she completed her master’s in 2019 and doctoral programs in Physiology at Dongguk University, Korea in 2022. Ly joined Lim lab as a postdoctoral fellow in September, 2023.

Saroj Kumar Shrestha, Ph.D (October 2024-present), Postdoctoral fellow

Saroj hold a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Pokhara University, Nepal (2014), and both a Master’s and PhD in Bioscience from Jeonbuk National University, South Korea (2023). His research primarily focuses on the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis and the calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells. Additionally, he has a postdoctoral experience in the Cell Biology Lab at Jeonbuk National University, where his work centers on the fate of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells. He is passionate about advancing scientific knowledge and is dedicated to making meaningful contributions to the field.

Mi Ae Choi, B.S. (August 2024-present), Researcher

Mi Ae received her bachelor’s in Biochemistry from Chungnam National University, South Korea in 2019. She completed a course Combined MS/Ph.D in Health Sciences and Technology from Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea in 2022. Mi Ae joined the Limlab in August 2024 as a visiting scientist. She plans to pursue a Ph.D program.

Duyen Tran, B.S./M.S. (March 2023-Present), Ph.D Graduate Student

Duyen received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from University of Science, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam in 2019. Then, she has completed her master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2021. Currently, she is studying Ph.D. program in GBS program at UAB.

Dilani Patel, B.S. (March 2024-present), Researcher

Dilani received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from UAB in 2017. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Entomology at University of Georgia and as a Researcher II in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology at UAB. Dilani has joined Dr. Lim’s lab as a Researcher II in March 2024.