Spotlight on Suhui Yang
By Suhui Yang, MS, PhD., Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Assessment Coordinator, School of Pharmacy
I earned my B.S. in Oceanography (major) and Chemistry (minor) from Pukyong National University, South Korea, in 2004, followed by an M.S. in Marine Chemistry from Stony Brook University, New York, in 2008. Later, I shifted my focus to Medicinal Chemistry and obtained my Ph.D. from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2012, under the mentorship of Dr. Won-Jea Cho. My doctoral research centered on designing and developing novel small-molecule compounds targeting the Androgen Receptor, Topoisomerase, or JAK/STAT pathway for cancer treatment.
Following my Ph.D., I joined the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral fellow (2013–2017) under Dr. Nouri Neamati, where I worked on synthesizing bioactive small-molecule compounds as potential anti-cancer agents. In August 2018, I joined the American University of Health Sciences as an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy. My current research interests are the design and development of small molecule drug candidates as chemotherapeutic agents by applying computational techniques such as virtual screening or molecular docking, and synthesis and optimization of active compounds, and the use of photoaffinity probes for identification of the molecular targets of small molecules.
As for my values, I grew up in a large family with four siblings, including myself. We were deeply influenced by our father, a retired and now Emeritus Professor who made significant contributions to oceanography studies and related policies, and our mother, who pursued a career in law. With this strong academic foundation, all of my siblings pursued higher education in the United States, and we are grateful that each of us earned a PhD in fields such as pharmaceutical science, microbiology, chemical engineering, and industrial engineering. Today, we apply our knowledge and expertise in various roles, including university faculty positions, data science, and leadership roles in the pharmaceutical industry.
The challenges we faced throughout our journey led us to become Christians. One meaningful practice we have adopted is to think of and pray for each family member whenever possible. Rooted in this strong faith, I met my husband while we were both postdoctoral fellows at the University of Michigan, and we later got married. Today, we are blessed with a 7-year-old son. It is truly a joy to see our family worship together and grow in faith, building each other up through the teachings of the Bible.
As a Christian, I believe this school is where God has led me to learn and grow. I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to pray for students, colleagues, and others within the school community. AUHS continually reminds me that God is alive and that He is the source of wisdom, opening our eyes to see His kingdom.
I have taken part in various AUHS community service activities, including Santa Cause, Health Fair, and Thanksgiving events. Among them, my favorite is Santa Cause, where I have the joy of witnessing the pure happiness and excitement of young children as they receive gifts or books and warmly respond when I say, “God bless you.” It is truly a heartwarming and blessed experience.