By Everest Hala
Byung Ho Lee, a graduate of Tonga High School’s Class of 2004, has distinguished himself as the lead author of a groundbreaking study published in Nature Cell Biology, a respected scientific journal.
Lee, who earned his PhD in Biochemistry in 2018 at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Germany, where he investigates “the biomechanics of morphogenetic events during development using pancreatic organoids as a model system.”
Lee is the son of Mr Kui Young Lee and Choon Hee Kim, proprietors of the Frangipani, a landmark Korean restaurant in central Nuku’alofa.
Lee’s parents hope his achievements stand as a powerful example for current Tongan students, that determination and hard work can carry a Tongan-raised scholar onto the global stage of science.
“When I tell Byung Ho that he is Korean he would be frustrated and remind me that he is Tongan too,” Lee’s mother said.
“We went to visit Byung Ho at his Lab in Germany and I got to see cancer cells on the microscope. If Byung Ho can do it, so can other students here in Tonga.”
Raised in Tonga
Raised in Tonga, Byung Ho Lee left the Pacific to pursue his passion for science, beginning with studies in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
After completing his bachelor’s degree, he advanced to Europe, where he completed his Master’s thesis in 2013 and earned his PhD in Biochemistry in 2018 at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Today, Lee is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Germany.
Collaborating closely with international mathematicians and physicists, Lee’s team aims to uncover the physical principles behind the evolution of the pancreatic ductal network.
Beyond this, he is also working to optimize pancreatic organoid growth by testing synthetic hydrogels that can be precisely controlled both physically and chemically.
With a strong background in interdisciplinary science and a deep understanding of cell biology and biomechanics, Lee is making a meaningful contribution to the global scientific community.
See also: Scientists map development of pancreas transport channels that deliver digestive enzymes
