The Keck School of Medicine of USC has named Harvard Medical School microbiologist Jae Jung as professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, effective Aug. 1.

Keck School Dean Brian Henderson said Jung “will further strengthen our basic science departments and the high-quality research undertaken here. This is a pivotal recruitment for our medical school, made possible in large part by support from the university, for which we are most grateful.”

Henderson added, “I want to commend the faculty who served on this search committee as they have worked tirelessly to identify a truly great scientific leader for this position.”

Jung, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, comes to USC from the Harvard Medical School’s tumor virology division, where he served as chair of the New England Regional Primate Research Center.

He also holds academic appointments at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and at Pohang University of Science and Technology in his native Korea. Jung also serves on a large number of review and advisory panels, including scientific committees for the Korean Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Science and Technology.

Jung received his Bachelor of Science in food science at Seoul National University in Korea and his doctorate in microbiology from the University of California at Davis.

Jung is regarded as a leading expert in the molecular biology of y-herpesviruses and their gene products as they relate to cell biology, biochemistry and immunology.

He has made a number of seminal observations, most notably regarding the biochemistry and cell biology of oncoproteins encoded by y-herpesviruses.

He carried out postdoctoral research in microbiology and molecular genetics at the New England Primate Research Center at Harvard Medical School.

His current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of virus-induced diseases, especially those related to y-2 herpesviruses such as Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, murine herpesvirus 68, rhesus rhadinovirus, herpesvirus saimiri. The viruses are interesting research targets because they contain a number of cellular homologs that may aid the progression of disease.