Seungwoo Kang, PhD

Associate Professor, IMM - Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology

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Seungwoo Kang, PhD

Senior Administrative Coordinator
Minh Vo
713-500-2450

Biography

Seungwoo Kang, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology within the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine at McGovern Medical School. He was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Augusta University Medical College of Georgia prior to joining UTHealth Houston in 2026.

Dr. Kang is interested in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying addiction and its comorbidities. Particularly, his research seeks to characterize how local interactions between astrocytes and neurons affect long-range brain circuits that underlie adaptive and maladaptive behaviors driven by positive and negative reinforcement during the transition from diverse flexible reward-seeking to dependence. To expand our understanding of the cell type-, circuit-, and age-dependent neuropharmacological basis in a variety of related pathologies, his research applies multi-layered approaches including ex vivo/in vivo electrophysiology, opto/chemo-genetics, viral gene transfer, behavior-synchronized in vivo imaging, spatial 3D reconstruction, and computational analysis. Building on these findings, his long-term goal is to identify brain-wide signatures to predict the risk of related diseases.

Professional Highlights

KSBNS/AKN Junior Faculty Research Award – Association of Korean Neuroscientists (AKN), supported by Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences (KSBNS), 2025

ACNP Harry June Travel Award – American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), 2021

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, 2021-2026

Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award, NIH, 2019-2023

Neuroscience 2018 Travel Award – Japan Neuroscience Society (JNS), 2018

Assistant Professor/Research Scientist/Research Associate, Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, 2017-2021

RSA Junior Investigator Travel Award – Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), 2017

SfN Trainee Professional Development Award – Society for Neuroscience (SfN), 2016

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School
Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology: University of California, Irvine
M.S. in Neurobiology: Korea University
B.S. in Lifesciences: Korea University

Publications

Visit the PubMed profile page

Bibliography in NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1hy4a586mF0kQ/bibliography/public/ (external link)

Bennett A, Kim H, Thomas D, Biggs P, Ara R, Bosomtwi A, Kang S. Glutamatergic dysfunction of astrocytes in paraventricular nucleus of thalamus contributes to adult anxiety susceptibility in adolescent ethanol exposed mice. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Oct 13. doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02264-3. Online ahead of print. PMID:41083599 (external link)
Mangieri R, Sirohi S, Fernandez de Velasco EM, Kang S. Editorial: Advances in pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder: from mechanisms to clinical interventions. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2025 Aug 15:16:1671114. PMID: 40894199 (external link)
Basu S, Ro EJ, Liu Z, Kim H, Bennett A, Kang S, Suh H. The Mef2c gene dose-dependently controls hippocampal neurogenesis and the expression of autism-like behaviors. Journal of Neuroscience. 2023 Dec 20:JN-RM-1058-23. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1058-23.2023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38123360 (external link)
Baker M^#, Kang S^#, Hong S, Song M, Yang M, Peyton L, Essa H, Lee SW, Choi DS. External globus pallidus input to the dorsal striatum regulates habitual seeking behavior in male mice. (2023) Nature Communications. 14, 4085. ^#These authors contributed equally to this work. PMID: 37438336 (external link)
Kang S^#, Hong SI^#, Kang S^#, Song M, Yang MA, Essa H, Baker M, Lee J, Bruce RA, Lee SW, Choi DS. Astrocyte activities in the external globus pallidus regulate action-selection strategies in reward-seeking behaviors. (2023) Science Advances. 9(24), eadh9239. ^#These authors contributed equally to this work. PMID:37327345 (external link)
Kang S, Choi DS. Astrocyte adenosine signaling and neural mechanisms of goal and habitual reward seeking behaviors. (2021) Neuropsychopharmacology. 46(1):227–228. PMID: 32778692 (external link)
Hong SI, Kang S, Baker M, Choi DS. Astrocyte-neuron interaction in the dorsal striatum-pallidal circuits and alcohol-seeking behaviors. (2021) Neuropharmacology. Oct 15;198:108759. PMID: 34433087 (external link)
Kang S^#, Hong SI^#, Lee JY, Lee H, Peyton L, Baker M, Choi S, Kim H, Chang SY, Choi DS. Activation of astrocytes in the dorsomedial striatum facilitates transition from habitual to goal-directed reward-seeking behavior. (2020) Biological Psychiatry. November 15; 88:797-808. ^#equally contributed to this work. PMID: 32564901 (external link)
Khazal FA, Kang S, Holte M, Choi DS, Singh R, Saenz P, Lopez-Barneo J, Maher J. Unexpected obesity, rather than tumorigenesis, in a conditional mouse model of mitochondrial complex II deficiency. (2020) FASEB Journal. Nov 27. doi: 10.1096/fj.202002100R. PMID: 33247500 (external link)
Nahar L, Grant CA, Hewett C, Cortes D, Reker AN, Kang S, Choi DS, Nam HW. Regulation of Pv-Specific Interneurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Reward-Seeking Behaviors. (2020) Journal of Neurochemistry. Jun 27. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15106. PMID: 32594517 (external link)
Baker M, Hong SI, Kang S, Choi DS. Rodent Models for Psychiatric Disorders: Problems and Promises. (2020) Laboratory Animal Research. Apr 15;36:9. PMID: 32322555 (external link)
Hong SI^#, Kang S^#, Chen J, Choi DS. Indirect medium spiny neurons in the dorsomedial striatum regulate ethanol containing conditioned reward seeking. (2019) Journal of Neuroscience. 39(36) 7206-7217. ^#equally contributed to this work. PMID: 31315945 (external link)
Kang S, Choi D-S. Possible Benefit and Validity of Supplements for Alcohol Use Disorder. (2019) Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. May;43(5):780-782. PMID: 30802317 (external link)
Kang S, Li J, Zuo W, Chen P, Gregor D, Fu R, Han X, Bekker A, Ye JH. Downregulation of M-channels in lateral habenula mediates hyperalgesia during alcohol withdrawal in rats. (2019) Scientific Reports. 9(1):2714. PMID: 30804373 (external link)
Wininger K, Karpyak V, Kang S, Choi DS. “Central role of amygdala and hypothalamus neural circuits in alcohol withdrawal symptom”. Neuroscience of Alcohol. Elsevier (Editor Victor Preedy). Chapter 26, pp 249-256, 2019. ELSEVIER (external link)
Starski P, Hong SI, Peyton L, Oliveros A, Wininger K, Hutchison C, Kang S, Karpyak V, Choi DS. Ethanol induces maladaptive impulse control and decreases seeking behaviors in mice. (2019) Addiction Biology. Apr 22:e12754. PMID: 31012186 (external link)
Lindberg D, Andres-Beck L, Jia YF, Kang S, and Choi DS. Purinergic Signaling in Neuron-Astrocyte interactions, Circadian Rhythms and Alcohol Use Disorder. (2018) Frontiers in Physiology. 9:9. PMID: 29467662 (external link)
Kang S, Li J, Bekker A, Ye JH. Rescue of glutamate transport in the lateral habenula alleviates depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in ethanol withdrawn rats. (2018) Neuropharmacology. 129:47-56. PMID: 29128307 (external link)
Li J^#, Kang S^#, Fu R, Wu L, Wu W, Liu H, Gregor D, Zuo W, Ye JH. Inhibition of AMPA receptor and CaMKII activity in the lateral habenula reduces depression-like behaviors and alcohol intake in rats. (2017) Neuropharmacology. 126:108-120. ^#equally contributed to this work. PMID: 28865912 (external link)
Greene D, Kang S, Hoshi N. XE991 and Linopirdine are state-dependent inhibitors for Kv7/KCNQ channels that favor activated single subunits. (2017) Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 362:177-185. PMID: 28483800 (external link)
Kang S, Li J, Fu R, Zuo, W, Gregor D, Krnjevic K, Bekker A, Ye JH. Ethanol withdrawal drives anxiety-related behaviors by reducing M-type potassium channel activity in the lateral habenula. (2017) Neuropsychopharmacology. 42(9):1813-1824. PMID: 28387223 (external link)
Shah A, Zuo W, Kang S, Li J, Fu R, Zhang H, Bekker A, Ye JH. The lateral habenula and alcohol: Role of glutamate and M-type potassium channels. (2017) Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 162:94-102. PMID: 28624587 (external link)
Li J, Fu C, Liu H, Fu R, Zuo W, Kang S, Chen P, Gregor D, Paulose R, Bekker A, Ye HJ. Electroacupuncture attenuates hyperalgesia in rats withdrawn from chronic ethanol drinking involving habenular mu opioid receptors. (2017) Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 41(3):637-643. PMID: 28166603 (external link)
Zuo W, Wang L, Chen L, Krnjevic K, Fu R, Feng X, He W, Kang S, Shah A, Bekker A, Ye JH. Ethanol potentiates both GABAergic and glutamatergic signaling in the lateral habenula. (2016) 113:178-187. PMID: 27678415 (external link)
Fu R, Chen X, Zuo W, Li J, Kang S, Zhou LH, Siegel A, Bekker A, Ye JH. Ablation of μ opioid receptor-expressing GABA neurons in rostromedial tegmental nucleus increases ethanol consumption and regulates ethanol-related behaviors. (2016) 107:58-67. PMID: 26921770 (external link)
Kay HY, Greene D, Kang S, Kosenko A, Hoshi N. M-current preservation contributes to anticonvulsant effects of valproic acid. (2015) Journal of Clinical Investigation. 125:3904-3914. PMID: 26348896 (external link)
Kang S. The Role of Casein Kinase 2 in Ion Channel Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction: Editorial to: “Valsartan Upregulates Kir2.1 in Rats Suffering from Myocardial Infarction via Casein Kinase 2” by Xinran Li et al. (2015) Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy. 29(3):207-8. PMID: 26206620 (external link)
Kim H, Kang S, Kim HJ, Choi SH, Shin S, Lee HH, Rhim H, Shin KH. Effect of acute and chronic electroconvulsive shock on 5-hydroxytrypamine 6 receptor immunoreactivity in rat hippocampus. (2014) Experimental Neurobiology. 23(3):231-7. PMID: 25258570 (external link)
Kang S, Xu M, Cooper EC, Hoshi N. Channel-anchored protein kinase CK2 and protein phosphatase 1 reciprocally regulate KCNQ2-containing M-channels via phosphorylation of calmodulin. (2014) Journal of Biological Chemistry. 289(16):11536-44. PMID: 24627475 (external link)
Kosenko A, Kang S, Smith IM, Greene DL, Langeberg LK, Scott JD, Hoshi N. Coordinated signal integration at the M-type potassium channel upon muscarinic stimulation. (2012) The EMBO Journal. 31(14):3147-56. PMID: 22643219 (external link)
Greene D, Kang S, Kosenko A, Hoshi N. Adrenergic regulation of HCN4 channel requires protein association with β2-adrenergic receptor. (2012) Journal of Biological Chemistry. 287(28):23690-7. PMID: 22613709 (external link)
Kang S, Kim HJ, Kim HJ, Shin SK, Choi SH, Lee MS, Shin KH. Effects of reboxetine and citalopram pretreatment on changes in cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) expression in rat brain induced by the forced swimming test. (2010) European Journal of Pharmacology. 647(1-3):110-6. PMID: 20826136 (external link)
Moon BH, Kang S, Kim HJ, Shin SK, Choi SH, Lee MS, Kim MK, Shin KH. Effect of reboxetine pretreatment on the FST-induced gene expression profile in the rat lateral septum. (2008) Molecular & Cellular Toxicology. 4(1):31-44. KOREASCIENCE (external link)
Moon BH, Hong CG, Kim SY, Kim HJ, Shin SK, Kang S, Lee KJ, Kim YK, Lee MS, Shin KH. A single administration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin that produces reduced food and water intake induces long-lasting expression of corticotropin-releasing factor, arginine vasopressin, and proopiomelanocortin in rat brain. (2008) Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 233(2):314-22. PMID: 18824019 (external link)
Park SH, Seo YH, Moon BH, Choi SH, Kang S, Lee KJ, Choi SH, Lee MS, Chun BG, Shin KH. Lamotrigine prevents MK801-induced alterations in early growth response factor-1 mRNA levels and immunoreactivity in the rat brain. (2008) European Journal of Pharmacology. 589(1-3):58-65. PMID: 18550051 (external link)
Park SH, Choi SH, Lee J, Kang S, Shin YC, Kim HJ, Kim HJ, Shin SK, Lee MS, Shin KH. Effects of repeated citalopram treatments on chronic mild stress-induced growth associated protein-43 mRNA expression in rat hippocampus. (2008) Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 12(3):117-23. PMID: 20157404 (external link)
Kim SJ, Park SH, Choi SH, Moon BH, Lee KJ, Kang S, Lee MS, Choi SH, Chun BG, Shin KH. Effects of repeated tianeptine treatment on CRF mRNA expression in non-stressed and chronic mild stress-exposed rats. (2006) 50(7):824-33. PMID: 16504218 (external link)