Research labs at Korea's QS Top 10 universities including SNU, KAIST, and Yonsei.
Professor James Won-Ki Hong's research lab specializes in computer vision, multimedia analysis, and blockchain technology. The lab focuses on developing robust video understanding techniques, particularly through weakly-supervised learning and pose estimation in challenging domains such as sports video. It also explores decentralized digital ownership and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), emphasizing their technical foundations, standards, and real-world applications. The lab bridges cutting-edge AI with emerging blockchain innovations to solve practical problems in video intelligence and digital asset management.
Professor Hyo Sun Jung's research lab specializes in organizational behavior and human resource management within the hospitality and service industries, with a strong focus on positive psychological constructs such as psychological capital, emotional intelligence, and organizational virtue. The lab investigates how individual well-being, interpersonal treatment (e.g., bullying, social undermining), and organizational climate influence employee outcomes like job satisfaction, engagement, citizenship behavior, and stress-coping strategies. Research also extends to health promotion and literacy, particularly among young adults, highlighting the intersection of personal behavior, education, and public health in service contexts.
Professor Joon-Ho Lee's research lab specializes in applied entomology, population ecology, and genetic evaluation in agricultural and invasive pest systems. The lab investigates insect population dynamics, survivorship, and predator-prey interactions in crop ecosystems, with a focus on pest management and biological control. It also conducts genetic and genomic studies to improve livestock and pest traits, integrating molecular tools with ecological and physiological data. The lab emphasizes sustainable agriculture through understanding pest dispersal, genetic structure, and the role of natural enemies in pest suppression.
Professor Hyunseung Choo's research lab specializes in intelligent networking and distributed systems, with a focus on wireless sensor networks, IoT integration, and UAV communications. The lab develops energy-efficient and scalable solutions for dynamic network management, including density control, processor allocation in 3D torus topologies, and reliable IoT gateway systems. Recent work emphasizes AI-driven optimization using deep reinforcement learning for UAV handover decisions and anomaly detection in industrial systems through advanced deep learning models.
Professor Minjung Lee's research lab specializes in public health behavior, health communication, and health emergency preparedness, with a focus on understanding individual and population-level responses to infectious disease outbreaks. The lab investigates the role of social determinants, risk perception, vaccine hesitancy, and digital communication strategies—particularly mobile alerts and media—during public health emergencies such as COVID-19 and MERS. A central theme is the development of person-centered, equitable public health interventions that enhance knowledge, efficacy beliefs, and timely preventive behaviors.
Professor Sib Sankar Giri's research lab specializes in aquatic animal health, focusing on the development and application of probiotics, plant-based feed additives, and bioactive compounds to enhance growth, immunity, and stress resilience in freshwater fish. The lab investigates microbial and phytochemical interventions—such as *Lactobacillus* spp., banana peel flour, and curcumin—to mitigate environmental toxicants like lead and improve sustainable aquaculture practices. A key focus is on understanding the immunomodulatory and antioxidant mechanisms underlying these protective effects through in vivo and in vitro studies.
Professor Christian Wallraven's research lab focuses on the perception and recognition of facial expressions, with an emphasis on dynamic and multimodal communication. The lab investigates how humans perceive and interpret facial expressions through vision, touch, and motion, exploring the interplay between static and dynamic facial cues. A central theme is the role of holistic versus part-based processing in face recognition, informed by psychophysical experiments and computational modeling. The lab also develops and evaluates realistic facial animations using perceptual quality assessments, bridging computer graphics and cognitive science.
Professor Hayoung Choi's research lab focuses on advancing precision medicine in chronic respiratory diseases, particularly bronchiectasis and tuberculosis. The lab investigates inflammatory endotypes, microbial dysbiosis, and host-microbe interactions to identify treatable traits and improve clinical outcomes. Key research directions include integrating multi-omics data (inflammatory markers, microbiome) to stratify patients, evaluating treatment responses in macrolide-resistant infections, and clarifying the clinical spectrum of pleural tuberculosis with atypical cell profiles. The lab employs large-scale epidemiological data and translational approaches to bridge clinical phenotypes with molecular mechanisms.
Professor Hosung Kim's research lab specializes in neuroimaging and biomedical image analysis, focusing on improving the quality, reliability, and interpretability of brain imaging data. The lab develops advanced computational methods—such as deep learning, motion correction, and image harmonization—to address challenges in MRI acquisition, artifact reduction, and longitudinal brain structure analysis. Key research directions include understanding neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative brain changes in conditions like premature birth, obstructive sleep apnea, and hearing loss, with a strong emphasis on clinical translation and data standardization.
Professor Bong Hyun Sung's research lab focuses on microbial systems biology, with a strong emphasis on understanding and engineering microbial metabolism and behavior for industrial and biomedical applications. Key research directions include microbial degradation of complex biopolymers like lignin, biofilm formation and its inhibition in biotechnological processes, and the development of minimal-genome strains through genome reduction and synthetic biology approaches. The lab also investigates the physiological and vascular impacts of metabolic conditions such as high cholesterol, linking microbial and host physiology in health and disease. These interdisciplinary efforts integrate systems biology, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering to design robust microbial platforms for sustainable bioproduction and medical insights.
Professor Ga Eun Nam's research lab focuses on the epidemiological and clinical investigation of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and their long-term health implications, particularly in relation to neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular outcomes. The lab specializes in population-based cohort studies to identify modifiable risk factors such as body weight variability, BMI, and waist circumference in Korean adults. Key research directions include understanding the links between metabolic health, obesity phenotypes, and the development of type 2 diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases. The lab also contributes to national health policy by evaluating and refining obesity diagnostic criteria tailored to the Korean population.
Professor Youngjoon Choi's research lab specializes in tourism, hospitality, and service innovation, with a strong focus on human–robot interaction, experiential tourism, and the impact of emerging technologies such as AI and RFID in service industries. The lab investigates tourist behavior, service quality perceptions, and cognitive-emotional drivers of travel intentions, particularly in post-pandemic and technology-integrated contexts. It also explores the role of digital media and cultural perceptions in shaping travel experiences and destination marketing strategies.
Professor Gilsoo Jang's research lab specializes in power system stability, control, and power quality enhancement, with a strong focus on nonlinear dynamics, harmonic mitigation, and HVDC integration. The lab develops advanced control strategies using nonlinear analysis techniques such as the method of normal forms to improve system resilience under stressed conditions. It also addresses challenges in high-penetration renewable integration and transmission system stability, particularly in small and isolated power systems. The lab's work emphasizes practical solutions through optimal reactive power compensation, fault analysis, and secure power flow control using PTDF and LODF formulations.
Professor Suk Kyoon An's research lab focuses on the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia spectrum disorders, with a particular emphasis on early-stage psychosis, ultra-high-risk (UHR) populations, and recent-onset schizophrenia. The lab investigates epigenetic factors—such as OXTR gene methylation—linking biological mechanisms to social and emotional deficits, while also exploring cognitive biases, facial emotion recognition, and coping strategies as potential vulnerability markers. Using multimodal approaches including event-related potentials, pyrosequencing, and clinical questionnaires, the lab aims to identify early biomarkers and pathophysiological pathways to inform prevention and early intervention strategies.
Professor Seongcheol Kim's research lab specializes in corporate sustainability and its linkage to financial performance, focusing on how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors influence long-term corporate value. The lab employs financial modeling, particularly the Ohlson residual income framework, to empirically analyze the impact of sustainability performance on firm profitability and market valuation. A key contribution is the development and application of the Korea Sustainability Index as a robust metric for measuring corporate sustainability. The lab's work bridges sustainability science and financial economics, offering evidence-based insights for investors, policymakers, and corporate leaders.
Professor Ki Hyun Nam's research lab specializes in structural biology and enzymology, with a focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems and industrial enzymes such as glucose isomerase. The lab employs advanced X-ray crystallography techniques—including serial femtosecond and millisecond crystallography using X-ray free electron lasers and synchrotrons—to study macromolecular structures at room temperature and high resolution, overcoming limitations of traditional cryogenic methods. A key research direction involves characterizing DNA- and RNA-binding proteins in CRISPR adaptation, particularly Cas2 and Csn2, to elucidate their roles in immune memory formation. The lab also develops innovative sample-delivery methods, such as using fat-based shortening and viscous media, to enhance efficiency in serial crystallography experiments.
Professor Dong Hyun Jo's research lab specializes in retinal diseases and advanced gene therapy, focusing on the development of innovative molecular and genetic interventions for blinding disorders. The lab investigates the pathophysiology of retinal barriers, particularly in diabetic retinopathy and inherited retinal degenerations such as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), with an emphasis on understanding immune cell interactions and retinal barrier integrity. Using cutting-edge technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, base editing, and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery, the lab pioneers in vivo therapeutic strategies to correct disease-causing mutations and modulate key pathogenic pathways. The research also explores the safety and long-term effects of gene-editing tools in the retina, aiming to translate preclinical findings into clinical applications.
Professor Jea Woong Jo's research lab specializes in the design and synthesis of advanced functional materials for next-generation optoelectronic devices, with a strong focus on organic and hybrid semiconductors. Key research directions include the development of fluorinated conjugated polymers to tune electronic energy levels and enhance charge transport in organic solar cells, the optimization of ligand exchange strategies for colloidal quantum dots to improve film quality and electronic performance, and the fabrication of high-performance carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive films. The lab integrates molecular engineering with advanced characterization techniques to achieve high efficiency and stability in photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.
Professor Young-Jun Jeon's research lab specializes in computational and molecular oncology, focusing on identifying novel anticancer agents and elucidating molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression and drug resistance. The lab integrates machine learning, systems biology, and functional genomics to predict anticancer peptides, study non-coding RNAs, and investigate the roles of tumor suppressors and natural compounds in cancers such as non-small cell lung carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and colorectal cancer. A key focus is on understanding the regulatory roles of microRNAs, lncRNAs, and endogenous metabolites in cancer signaling pathways and therapeutic responses.
Professor Seok Hwan Kim's research lab specializes in anterior segment and optic nerve imaging, with a focus on advancing optical coherence tomography (OCT) technologies for early glaucoma detection. The lab investigates structural biomarkers such as retinal nerve fiber layer defects (RNFLDs), lamina cribrosa configuration, and peripapillary atrophy, particularly in normal-tension glaucoma and preperimetric glaucoma. Genetic and clinical factors, including endothelin receptor A polymorphisms and peripapillary staphyloma, are also explored to understand disease progression and visual outcomes. The lab emphasizes the integration of high-resolution 3D imaging and quantitative analysis to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient management.
