Professional Profile

• Assistant Professor, Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (Mentor: Daniela Čiháková, M.D., Ph.D.)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI (Mentor: Yasmina Laouar, Ph.D.)

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Laboratory of Host Defense Modulation, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea (Advisor: Kwang Woo Hwang, Ph.D. and Do-Ik Lee, Ph.D.)
• M.S. in Immunology, Department of Immunology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea (Advisor: Do-Ik Lee, Ph.D.)
• B.S. in Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

• X https://x.com/TaejoonW
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/twon/
• Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/taejoonw.bsky.social

The heart is special. When it gets sick, it can jeopardize our overall well-being. When it stops functioning, our lives come to an end. The Won lab is dedicated to understanding the role of the immune system in the heart, with a focus on protecting the heart from inflammatory diseases. Inflammation in the heart due to microbial infections, autoimmune responses, or medications can lead to severe heart failure conditions or sudden cardiac death. 

Our primary goal is to develop innovative strategies for diagnosing, treating, and ultimately preventing inflammatory heart diseases. Currently, we are investigating the pathogenic role of autoreactive T cells targeting the heart using mouse models and clinical datasets. Under healthy conditions, the activity of these T cells is tightly regulated to maintain immune tolerance in the heart. However, genetic or environmental factors such as infections, autoimmune conditions, or medications can trigger the activation of T cells targeting the heart, leading to severe inflammation in the heart and its consequences. For more details, see my review article "Autoimmune Myocarditis, Old Dogs and New Tricks". 

• American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Young Investigator Award, Autumn Immunology Conference 2025
• AAI Early Career Faculty Travel Grant, IMMUNOLOGY2024
• The Outstanding Abstract in Clinical Research, 25^th Annual Department of Pathology Young Investigators’ Day, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2023
• Grover M. Hutchins, M.D. Memorial Research Award, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2022
• Excellence in Clinical Research, 24^th Annual Department of Pathology Young Investigator’s Day, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2022
• AAI Trainee Abstract Award, Virtual IMMUNOLOGY2021
• Excellence in Basic Research, 22^ndAnnual Department of Pathology Young Investigators’ Day, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2020
• Rhett Lundy Memorial Research Fellowship Grant, Myocarditis Foundation, 2019

• T cells in Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Pathogenic drivers of lupus myocarditis and potential therapeutic targets. Liu Y, Murphy KM, Hung YF, Won T^#. Exp Mol Med. 2025 Nov;57(11):2408-2417. doi: 10.1002/art.43168. Epub 2025 Nov 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 41203999; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12686018. Invited review article.
  • Injury-induced myosin-specific tissue-resident memory T cells drive immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis. Kalinoski H, Daoud A, Rusinkevich V, Jurčová I, Talor MV, Welsh RA, Hughes D, Zemanová K, Stříž I, Hooper JE, Kautzner J, Peichl P, Melenovský V, Won T^#, Čiháková D. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Oct 15;121(42):e2323052121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2323052121. Epub 2024 Oct 8. PubMed PMID: 39378095; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11494310.
  • Autoimmune myocarditis, old dogs and new tricks. Won T*, Song EJ, Kalinoski HM, Moslehi JJ, Čiháková D. Circ Res. 2024 Jun 7;134(12):1767-1790. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.323816. Epub 2024 Jun 6. Review. PubMed PMID: 38843292. Invited review article.
    
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors associated cardiovascular immune-related adverse events. Jo W, Won T*, Daoud A, Čiháková D. Front Immunol. 2024;15:1340373. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1340373. eCollection 2024. Review. PubMed PMID: 38375475; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10875074.
  • Cardiac myosin-specific autoimmune T cells contribute to immune-checkpoint-inhibitor-associated myocarditis. Won T*, Kalinoski HM, Wood MK, Hughes DM, Jaime CM, Talor MV, Lasrado N, Reddy J, Čiháková D. Cell Rep. 2022 Nov 8;41(6):111611. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111611. PubMed PMID: 36351411; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11108585. Highlighted in the News section of Cancer Discovery.
  • Endothelial stromal PD-L1 (programmed death ligand 1) modulates CD8+ T-cell infiltration after heart transplantation. Bracamonte-Baran W, Gilotra NA, Won T, Rodriguez KM, Talor MV, Oh BC, Griffin J, Wittstein I, Sharma K, Skinner J, Johns RA, Russell SD, Anders RA, Zhu Q, Halushka MK, Brandacher G, Čiháková D. Circ Heart Fail. 2021 Oct;14(10):e007982. doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.120.007982. Epub 2021 Sep 24. PubMed PMID: 34555935; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8550427.
• Innate Immunity in Cardiovascular Diseases
  • The protective role of GATA6(+) pericardial macrophages in pericardial inflammation. Hughes DM, Won T, Talor MV, Kalinoski HM, Jurčová I, Szárszoi O, Stříž I, Čurnová L, Bracamonte-Baran W, Melenovský V, Čiháková D. iScience. 2024 Jul 19;27(7):110244. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110244. eCollection 2024 Jul 19. PubMed PMID: 39040070; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11260870.
  • Hypereosinophilia causes progressive cardiac pathologies in mice. Diny NL, Wood MK, Won T, Talor MV, Lukban C, Bedja D, Wang N, Kalinoski H, Daoud A, Talbot CC Jr, Leei Lin B, Čiháková D. iScience. 2023 Oct 20;26(10):107990. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107990. eCollection 2023 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 37829205; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10565781.
  • Integrative single-cell analysis of cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis using publicly available cardiac and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sequencing datasets. Daoud A, Lema DA, Won T, Čiháková D. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2023;10:1227818. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1227818. eCollection 2023. Review. PubMed PMID: 37576111; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10419306.
  • Innate lymphoid cells play an essential role in pericarditis. Choi HS, Won T, Hou X, Chen G, Bracamonte-Baran W, Talor MV, Jurčová I, Szárszoi O, Stříž I, Hooper J, Melenovský V, Čiháková D. Cell Rep. 2020 Mar 3;30(9):2989-3003.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.02.040. PubMed PMID: 32130902; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7332109.
  • The cardiac microenvironment instructs divergent monocyte fates and functions in myocarditis. Hou X, Chen G, Bracamonte-Baran W, Choi HS, Diny NL, Sung J, Hughes D, Won T, Wood MK, Talor MV, Hackam DJ, Klingel K, Davogustto G, Taegtmeyer H, Coppens I, Barin JG, Čiháková D. Cell Rep. 2019 Jul 2;28(1):172-189.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.007. PubMed PMID: 31269438; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6813836.
• COVID-19 and Its mRNA Vaccine
  • Increased interleukin 18-dependent immune responses are associated with myopericarditis after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Won T*, Gilotra NA, Wood MK, Hughes DM, Talor MV, Lovell J, Milstone AM, Steenbergen C, Čiháková D. Front Immunol. 2022;13:851620. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.851620. eCollection 2022. PubMed PMID: 35251049; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8894592.
  • Endothelial thrombomodulin downregulation caused by hypoxia contributes to severe infiltration and coagulopathy in COVID-19 patient lungs. Won T*, Wood MK, Hughes DM, Talor MV, Ma Z, Schneider J, Skinner JT, Asady B, Goerlich E, Halushka MK, Hays AG, Kim DH, Parikh CR, Rosenberg AZ, Coppens I, Johns RA, Gilotra NA, Hooper JE, Pekosz A, Čiháková D. EBioMedicine. 2022 Jan;75:103812. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103812. Epub 2022 Jan 13. PubMed PMID: 35033854; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8756077.
• Arthritis
  • Anti-Peptidylarginine Deiminase 4 Autoantibodies Derived From Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Exert Pathogenic Effects by Activating Monocytes and Exacerbating Inflammatory Arthritis. Won T*, Naik P, Wood MK, Wang H, Talor MV, Shi J, Bracamonte-Baran W, Thomas MA, Jaime CM, Jo W, Ray S, Foss CA, Andrade F, Čiháková D, Darrah E. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2025 Sep;77(9):1150-1165. doi: 10.1002/art.43168. Epub 2025 May 27. PubMed PMID: 40176290; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12353984. Recognized as The Most Viewed And Widely Shared Articles On Social Media Over The Month; Highlighted in the Research Highlight section of Nature Reviews Rheumatology.
  • Programmed death ligand 1-expressing macrophages and their protective role in the joint during arthritis. Wood MK, Daoud A, Talor MV, Kalinoski HM, Hughes DM, Hooper JE, Won T^#, Čiháková D. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2024 Apr;76(4):553-565. doi: 10.1002/art.42749. Epub 2024 Feb 11. PubMed PMID: 37997621; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12506893.
• Others
  • A membrane lipid signature unravels the dynamic landscape of group 1 innate lymphoid cells across the health-disease continuum. Frey HC, Sun X, Oudeif F, Corona DL, He Z, Won T, Schultz TL, Carruthers VB, Laouar A, Laouar Y. iScience. 2025 Mar 21;28(3):112043. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112043. eCollection 2025 Mar 21. PubMed PMID: 40104068; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11914809.

*First or co-first author; ^#Corresponding or co-corresponding author

Complete publication list:

• PubMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/taejoon.won.2/bibliography/public/
• Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pbMg5LkAAAAJ&hl=en

• Highlights of Korean Scientists' Research, Biological Research Information Center (BRIC), 2025
• “Targeting anti-PAD4 autoantibodies in RA”, Research Highlight in Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2025
• Highlights of Korean Scientists' Research, BRIC, 2025
• Highlights of Korean Scientists' Research, BRIC, 2024
• Interview with BRIC, 2023
• Highlights of Korean Scientists' Research, BRIC, 2023
• “Cardiac Antigen Implicated in ICI-Linked Myocarditis”, News in Cancer Discovery, 2022
• “2018 Rhett Lundy Memorial Research Fellowship Grant Recipient: Dr. Taejoon Won”, News in Myocarditis Foundation, 2019

• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising the same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Lee KP, Kim SH, Chun TH, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US11760970B2. 9/19/2023.
• Novel lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Hwang SH, Lee JH, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US11759486B2. 9/19/2023. 
• Novel lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising the same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Lee KP, Kim SH, Chun TH, Hwang KW, Won TJ, US10844443B2. 11/24/2020. 
• Novel lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Hwang SH, Lee JH, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US10842833B2. 11/24/2020.
• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Hwang SH, Lee JH, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US10130666B2. 11/20/2018.
• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition comprising the same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Lee KP, Kim SH, Chun TH, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US10093995B2. 10/9/2018.
• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition containing the same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Seo SH, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ, US9962418B2, 5/8/2018.
• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition containing same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Koh JH, Kim TJ, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US9962417B2. 5/8/2018.
• Lactobacillus plantarum and composition containing same. Kim BJ, Jung HW, Koh JH, Kim TJ, Lee KP, Hwang KW, Won TJ. US9572846B2. 2/21/2017.
• Food composition for preventing and improving of metabolic bone disease comprising extract of Sophorae fructus. Kwon SH, Hwang BS, Kim KH, Lee SH, Yoon EJ, Lee SH, Lee MW, Lee DI, Choi YW, Joo SS, Won TJ, Kang HC. KR100510426B1. 8/26/2005.
• Pharmaceutical composition for preventing and treating of metabolic bone disease comprising extract of Sophorae fructus. Kwon SH, Hwang BS, Kim KH, Lee SH, Yoon EJ, Lee SH, Lee MW, Lee DI, Choi YW, Joo SS, Won TJ, Kang HC. KR100509682B1. 8/23/2005.