Yoon works at the intersection of protein engineering, structural biology, and neuroscience, with the goal of uncovering the molecular mechanisms that govern how cells and tissues interact with their extracellular environment. His research seeks to translate these mechanistic insights into new approaches for understanding and manipulating the brain, with particular interest in neurological diseases and brain cancers.

Prior to EPFL, Yoon completed his B.S. and M.S. in Biology at Stanford University, where he worked with  Thomas Südhof (Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 2013) to study the biochemistry of synaptic proteins, including neuroligin-3 (NLGN3) and neurexins. He subsequently pursued a Ph.D. in Bioengineering at Stanford University, working with Brian Kobilka (Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2012) and Karl Deisseroth (Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 2026). His doctoral research focused on the structural mechanisms of light-gated ion channels, or channelrhodopsins, and on translating these mechanistic principles into improved molecular tools for controlling and studying neural activity with light. In 2021, Yoon joined Michelle Monje’s laboratory at Stanford as a postdoctoral fellow to investigate the molecular basis of neuron–cancer interactions. His work uncovered how NLGN3, a postsynaptic structural protein turned glioma mitogen, engages tumor-cell surface machinery to promote cancer growth, revealing a previously unrecognized mechanosensitive signaling pathway that drives glioma proliferation.

Across these areas, Yoon's research has combined molecular mechanism with protein engineering to understand and manipulate biological signaling at the cell surface. His work has resulted in first-author publications in major journals such as  Cell, Nature, Science, Nature Neuroscience, and Neuron. Yoon has received numerous competitive fellowships and research awards, including the Kwanjeong International Fellowship, Walter V. and Idun Berry Postdoctoral Fellowship, Defeat DIPG ChadTough Fellowship, Defeat DIPG Young Investigator Award, and Horten Health Foundation Young Investigator Award.

2025-present Assistant Professor of Life Science Engineering, EPFL

2021-2025 Postdoctoral Researcher in Neurology, Stanford University

2014-2020 Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Stanford University

2010-2012 Military Service, South Korean Army

2007-2014 Combined B.S. and M.S. in Biology, Stanford University