▁a ▁one - year ▁post do ctor al ▁st int ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory ▁of ▁Robert ▁G . ▁Griff in ▁at ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology , ▁she ▁went ▁to ▁University ▁of ▁Massachusetts ▁Am her st ▁and ▁developed ▁b ios yn th etic ▁is ot op ic ▁label ing ▁approaches ▁to ▁facil itate ▁protein ▁structure ▁determ ination ▁by ▁ss N MR . ▁She ▁started ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ship ▁at ▁Iowa ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁became ▁an ▁associate ▁professor ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁full ▁professor ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁held ▁the ▁first ▁John ▁D . ▁Cor b ett ▁Professor ship ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁as ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁chem istry . ▁ ▁Research ▁ ▁Hong ' s ▁research ▁focus es ▁on ▁el uc id ating ▁the ▁structure , ▁dynamics ▁and ▁mechanism ▁of ▁memb rane ▁prote ins ▁using ▁ss N MR . ▁She ▁is ▁particularly ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁study ▁of ▁the ▁Matrix - 2 ▁( M 2 ) ▁prote ins ▁of ▁influen za ▁A ▁vir uses , ▁which ▁are ▁responsible ▁for ▁all ▁flu ▁pan dem ics ▁in ▁history . ▁M 2 ▁is ▁an ▁acid - activ ated ▁pro ton ▁channel ▁and ▁a ▁memb rane ▁sc ission ▁protein ▁for ▁the ▁influen za ▁virus . ▁Hong ' s ▁ss N MR ▁studies ▁have ▁provided ▁ins ights ▁into ▁the ▁pro ton -