Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2025

Biophysicist in Profile

Ellen Hyeran Kang Area of Research Actin molecular biomechanics and mechanobiology

Institution University of Central Florida

At-a-Glance

Ellen Hyeran Kang ’s journey from aspiring musician to accomplished biophysicist illustrates how unconventional paths can lead to scientific innovation and how early passions can resurface in unexpected ways.

Ellen Hyeran Kang

Ellen Hyeran Kang ’s path to becoming a biophysicist began not in a laboratory, but at a piano bench. Growing up in Busan, a coastal city on the southern tip of South Korea, she dedicated herself to classical piano from age four through her freshman year of high school, dreaming of a career as a professional pianist. When that dream did not materialize, she discovered something unexpected: a deep passion for science. “I got started in science a bit later in life than most scientists,” Kang explains. “Facing many challenges at music competi tions, I eventually decided not to pursue a career in music. However, that diversion fortunately led me to find joy in science, especially math and physics.” Today, as an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Academics in the Department of Physics at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Kang leads a research group investigating the molecular mechanics of actin, a protein fun damental to cell structure and movement. Kang’s scientific education began at Seoul National University, where she earned both undergraduate and master’s degrees in physics. Her master’s thesis focused on high-temperature superconductor synthesis and characterization under the guidance of Yung Woo Park . This solid grounding in condensed matter physics would prove invaluable when she later shifted her focus to biological systems. Her transition to biophysics came during her doctoral studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in Jay Tang ’s research group. Her dissertation explored the mechanics of actin-based biomimetic systems, artificial systems that mimic biological structures. During this period, she also spent a year as a visiting graduate student in Paul Janmey ’s group at the University of Pennsylvania, studying the nonlinear elasticity of fibrin gels, proteins crucial for blood clotting. Kang credits her early exposure to science to her father, a property appraiser who, despite choosing a non-science career after earning a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical

engineering, remained passionate about mathematics and science. She recalls, “I have fond memories about the days when I spent hours solving challenging yet interesting math problems with his help and our family visits to observatories, taking a close-up view of the moon and stars in the night sky.” Her mother, an artist who taught in colleges, demonstrated the value of sharing one’s passion with students. Kang notes, “Both my parents are my inspirations. They always support me no matter what.” Kang’s postdoctoral work at Yale University in Enrique De La Cruz ’s lab proved transformative. There, she investigated how cation binding—the attachment of positively charged ions— modulates actin polymerization and filament bending me chanics. She also studied the molecular mechanisms underly ing cofilin-mediated filament severing, a process essential for cellular movement and shape changes. “During this time, I was fortunate to expand my expertise in protein biophysics and have an opportunity to collabo rate with many amazing scientists,” Kang says. “Further, my postdoctoral training allowed me to become an independent researcher.” She acknowledges the profound influence of her mentors throughout this journey: “I am very grateful to my former advisors and mentors, Dr. Tang, Dr. Janmey, and Dr. De La Cruz, who opened my eyes to learn the beautiful aspects of biophysics research through their insightful guidance and mentoring.” At UCF, Kang’s research group focuses on understanding how actin assembly and mechanics are modulated in complex in tracellular environments and in response to external mechan ical and chemical stimuli. Her lab integrates approaches from protein biophysics, cell biophysics, and nanoscience to tackle these questions. In her characteristically concise style, she describes her specialization as “actin molecular biomechanics and mechanobiology.”

December 2025

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