Team

UTSW Faculty Profile

Assistant Professor

Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research

Department of Psychiatry

Department of Neuroscience

Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Management

Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

Sebastian was born and raised in South Korea and received his B.S. and M.S. from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), where he studied molecular mechanisms underlying synapse formation. He obtained his Ph.D. at Harvard University, where he studied behavioral arousal and quiescence in C. elegans. As a postdoctoral fellow in David Ginty’s lab at Harvard Medical School, he studied ascending spinal pathways that convey touch and pain signals to the brain. Sebastian joined the Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in July 2022.

PhD Student (3rd year Neuroscience)

OBI SPROUTS Fellow

Rae earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Nanjing University in China. She conducted her undergraduate thesis research at Columbia University, where she studied the neurobiology of sleep. Rae joined the Choi lab for PhD training in February 2024.

Google Scholar

PhD Student (3rd year Neuroscience)

Nadine received her bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo. Post-graduation she developed an interest in sensory neurobiology and innate behavioral drive, first as a technician at Columbia University investigating a role for the cerebellum in feeding and gastrointestinal function; then as a researcher at Kallyope, a biotech startup focused on harnessing the gut-brain axis for therapeutic development. Nadine joined the Choi lab as a Neuroscience PhD student in March 2024.

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PhD Student (2nd year Neuroscience)

OBI NSTP Fellow

Gina earned her bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University, South Korea. Her undergraduate thesis project was discovering neural circuits underlying sexual behavior-induced reward. After growing her interest in social neuroscience, she moved on to study Autism Spectrum Disorder in mouse models and gained her master’s degree from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Gina joined the Choi lab as a Neuroscience PhD student in December 2024.

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MD Student (MS1)

Sangbin earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. During his post-graduation years, he developed an interest in neuroscience while working as a research technician at UT Health San Antonio, where he helped investigate the role of monoamine transporters in post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. Sangbin joined the Choi lab as a medical student in June 2026

Google Scholar

Master’s student at UT Dallas

UTD Green Fellow/URAP intern (2025)

UTD URAP Student (2026)