Jongchan Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology and a master’s degree in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Currently a PhD candidate in the department of global health at the Amsterdam UMC under the supervision of Dr. Vanessa Harris and Prof. Constance Schultsz, Jongchan’s research investigates disparities in rotavirus vaccine responses within low- and middle-income countries. By using metagenomic sequencing and organoid models, this work dissects the mechanisms by which endemic circulating viruses interfere with vaccine replication. The primary aim is to identify interfering viruses and characterize the host innate immune response, evaluating both the reaction to the rotavirus vaccine and the specific pathways driven by these interfering viruses across organoid models and human cohort studies.