Research labs at Korea's QS Top 10 universities including SNU, KAIST, and Yonsei.
Professor Kye-Seong Kim's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular regulation, particularly through the ubiquitin-proteasome system and post-translational modifications in stem cell biology and reproductive biology. The lab investigates the roles of ubiquitination and deubiquitination enzymes in maintaining stem cell pluripotency and regulating spermatogenic cell development, with a special emphasis on the acrosomal matrix and protein compartmentalization in sperm. Additionally, the lab explores epigenetic regulation in embryonic stem cells, especially the interplay between signaling pathways, histone demethylases, and DNA methylation in establishing the naive pluripotent state. These studies integrate cell biology, biochemistry, and molecular genetics to uncover fundamental regulatory mechanisms with implications for regenerative medicine and infertility.
Professor Dongwhan Lee's research lab specializes in bioinorganic chemistry, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of synthetic models for non-heme diiron enzymes, particularly ribonucleotide reductase and soluble methane monooxygenase. The lab investigates the electronic and magnetic properties of diiron complexes, with an emphasis on understanding the activation of dioxygen and the formation of high-valent iron-oxo intermediates relevant to enzymatic catalysis. Their work combines molecular synthesis, spectroscopic techniques (such as Mössbauer and EPR), and structural analysis to mimic and probe the reactivity of biological iron centers.
Professor Yoo Yong Kim's research lab specializes in animal nutrition and feed science, focusing on optimizing dietary formulations to enhance growth performance, health, and productivity in livestock and poultry. The lab investigates the effects of nutrient manipulation—such as energy and protein levels, lysophospholipid supplementation, and alternative feed ingredients—on animal metabolism, intestinal health, and carcass traits. A key research direction involves developing sustainable and cost-effective feeding strategies, including the use of alternative protein sources like edible insects and fiber-rich ingredients such as sugar beet pulp, to replace antibiotics like ZnO in weaning pigs. The lab also explores phase feeding systems and feed processing techniques to improve feed efficiency and economic profitability in animal production systems.
Professor Jessie S. Jeon's research lab specializes in developing advanced microfluidic and 3D in vitro models to study complex biological processes, particularly cancer metastasis and vascularization. The lab focuses on mimicking the tumor microenvironment by integrating human cells, extracellular matrices, and dynamic fluidic conditions to investigate organ-specific cancer cell extravasation, endothelial-pericyte interactions, and the role of signaling molecules like Ang-1 and TGF-β1. Their work also extends to antimicrobial screening, where they apply microfluidic platforms to study combinatory antibiotic effects with high-throughput phenotypic analysis. These innovative models enable real-time, in situ monitoring of cellular behaviors, offering new insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic development.
Professor Woo-Bin Jung's research lab specializes in the design and fabrication of advanced nanomaterials for sustainable energy and environmental applications. The lab focuses on developing low-cost, scalable nanofabrication techniques for high-density, ultra-small nanopatterns and advanced electrocatalysts, particularly for carbon dioxide reduction and rechargeable metal-air batteries. Key research directions include the synthesis of polyelemental alloy nanoparticles, defect-engineered carbon-supported catalysts, and facet-controlled copper nanostructures to enhance catalytic selectivity and activity.
Professor Eun Yeon Joo's research lab specializes in neuropsychiatry and neuroimaging, focusing on the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disorders and epilepsy. The lab investigates structural and functional brain changes—such as cortical thinning, gray matter atrophy, and alterations in cerebral glucose metabolism—associated with conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Using advanced neuroimaging techniques including FDG-PET, SPECT, and statistical parametric mapping, the lab explores how sleep disruption and neurological diseases affect cognition, attention, emotion regulation, and autonomic function. The research also evaluates the neurobiological impact of wake-promoting medications like modafinil on regional cerebral blood flow in healthy individuals.
Professor Jun Moon's research lab specializes in stochastic control, differential games, and reinforcement learning with applications to large-scale multiagent systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Markov jump systems. The lab focuses on risk-sensitive and robust control strategies, mean-field type games, and time-inconsistent optimal control problems, integrating advanced mathematical frameworks such as backward stochastic differential equations and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman-Isaacs equations. A key emphasis is on developing scalable, decentralized, and robust control algorithms for dynamic, uncertain environments using deep reinforcement learning and stochastic optimization techniques.
Professor Yoon-Mo Koo's research lab specializes in biocatalysis and sustainable chemical processes, with a focus on enzyme-mediated synthesis of high-value biobased products such as sugar fatty acid esters and rare sugars. The lab integrates experimental studies with molecular dynamics simulations to understand and optimize enzyme behavior in non-aqueous environments like ionic liquids and organic solvents. Key research directions include enhancing the efficiency and scalability of lipase-catalyzed reactions, developing novel solvent systems for improved substrate solubility, and applying advanced separation techniques such as simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography for product purification. The lab also investigates the economic and environmental feasibility of carbon capture and storage technologies, particularly in industrial sectors like steel production.
Professor Yong Shin's research lab specializes in the development of innovative microfluidic and nanomaterial-based platforms for point-of-care molecular diagnostics and liquid biopsy applications. The lab focuses on advancing sensitive, rapid, and label-free detection of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers—such as single-point mutations, cell-free nucleic acids, and extracellular vesicles—using cutting-edge technologies like silicon microring sensors, SERS substrates, and magnetic nanoparticle composites. A central theme in the lab’s work is the design of non-chaotropic, high-efficiency nucleic acid capture systems and isothermal amplification techniques to improve clinical translation of molecular diagnostics.
Professor Seok Chung's research lab specializes in developing advanced microfluidic and 3D bioprosthetic platforms to model complex physiological microenvironments, particularly in cancer, angiogenesis, and islet biology. The lab focuses on integrating dynamic biochemical gradients, extracellular matrix scaffolds, and live-cell imaging to study cellular behaviors such as collective migration, sprouting angiogenesis, and metastatic niche formation at the single-cell level. By mimicking in vivo conditions like interstitial flow and stromal interactions, the lab aims to create more clinically relevant in vitro models for disease research and drug testing. Their work bridges tissue engineering, microfluidics, and systems biology to uncover mechanistic insights into disease progression and microenvironmental regulation.
Professor Gil-Ho Lee's research lab specializes in quantum nanoscience and 2D materials-based quantum devices, focusing on spintronics, superconductivity, and topological quantum phenomena. The lab explores van der Waals heterostructures, Josephson junctions, and spin-orbit torque effects to develop energy-efficient, gate-tunable quantum devices. Key research directions include macroscopic quantum tunneling, crossed Andreev reflection, and twistronics in 2D materials, with an emphasis on atomically precise interfaces and quantum coherence. The lab combines advanced fabrication techniques like mechanical exfoliation and microcleave-and-stack with advanced transport and spectroscopy measurements to probe fundamental quantum phenomena.
Professor Jin-Goo Park's research lab specializes in surface and interfacial phenomena in semiconductor manufacturing, with a focus on chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes, contamination control, and surface modification. The lab investigates the fundamental interactions between slurries, particles, and wafer materials—such as silicon, polysilicon, and metal films—under various chemical and electrokinetic conditions. Key research directions include the role of surface charge, zeta potential, and interfacial forces in determining polishing performance and defect formation, as well as the development of strategies to enhance surface cleanliness and planarization efficiency through chemical additives like H₂O₂ and benzotriazole (BTA).
Professor Sunho Jeong's research lab specializes in the development of advanced functional materials for next-generation electronic and energy devices, with a strong focus on solution-processed oxide semiconductors, conductive nanomaterials, and flexible electronics. The lab investigates low-temperature processing techniques for amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS) such as IZO and ZTO, aiming to enhance thin-film transistor performance while maintaining compatibility with flexible plastic substrates. A key research direction involves surface engineering of metal nanoparticles—particularly copper—to suppress oxidation and enable high-conductivity, inkjet-printable electrodes. The lab also explores functional nanocomposites, including piezoelectric generators based on PZT-NH₂ nanoparticles, for energy harvesting applications.
Professor Suk-Ho Choi's research lab specializes in advanced optoelectronic materials and devices, focusing on hybrid heterostructures combining 2D materials, perovskites, and quantum dots for next-generation solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting devices. The lab explores fundamental mechanisms in carrier transport, interface engineering, and charge dynamics in nanostructured systems to enhance device performance and stability. Key research directions include the development of transparent and semitransparent photovoltaics, high-sensitivity photodetectors, and multifunctional devices such as solar cell-light emitting diodes (SOLEDs).
Professor Se-Bum Paik's research lab specializes in computational and systems neuroscience, focusing on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception, number sense, and cortical network dynamics. The lab employs computational modeling, deep neural networks, and advanced image analysis to investigate how brain circuits spontaneously generate functional maps—such as orientation and retinotopic maps—and how oscillatory activity shapes sensory processing. A key focus is on the emergence of abstract cognitive functions from intrinsic network dynamics, as well as developing automated tools for whole-brain neural mapping in mice.
Professor Young-Kook Lee's research lab specializes in the development and characterization of advanced high-strength steels, with a focus on medium Mn steels, Fe-Mn alloys, and martensitic stainless steels. The lab investigates phase transformations, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties—particularly transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and damping capacity—under varying processing conditions such as annealing and heating rates. Key research directions include the control of retained austenite, martensite reversion mechanisms, and the role of defects and phase boundaries in enhancing material performance. The lab combines experimental techniques like dilatometry, XRD, and TEM to understand structure-property relationships at the microscale.
Professor Han-Sung Jung's research lab focuses on bioinspired materials and developmental biology, with a strong emphasis on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue and organ development—particularly in limb and mammary gland formation—through the interplay of key signaling pathways such as Wnt, FGF, and T-box genes. The lab also explores the application of natural micro- and nanostructures, such as those found in gecko skin, for biomimetic fabrication of functional surfaces in biomedical and everyday applications. Additionally, the lab investigates the role of chirality in biological systems and develops advanced nanomaterials, including graphene oxide-supported bimetallic nanoparticles, for combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial biofilms.
Professor Boyoung Park's research lab focuses on public health and translational biomedical research, with a strong emphasis on women's health, chronic disease prevention, and bioactive natural compounds. The lab investigates body image and obesity-related health disparities in Korean women across age groups, while also exploring anti-complement and anti-cancer properties of plant-derived compounds such as flavonoids and lignans. Additionally, the lab examines health behavior and screening patterns for diabetes-related complications, as well as mental health factors influencing suicide risk in family caregivers. These interdisciplinary efforts bridge epidemiology, pharmacology, and clinical health promotion.
Professor Hee Ho Park's research lab specializes in nanomedicine and immunotherapy, focusing on the development of advanced nanocarriers and cell-based therapies for cancer and viral infections. The lab explores protein-based nanoparticles, albumin nanoparticles, and extracellular vesicles for targeted drug delivery, with a strong emphasis on improving therapeutic efficacy in challenging microenvironments such as solid tumors and the dysregulated immune responses seen in COVID-19. A key direction involves engineering innate immune cells—particularly macrophages—into potent anti-tumor agents through in vivo reprogramming, offering a novel strategy to overcome limitations of current immunotherapies. The lab also investigates the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and dysregulated lipid metabolism in severe inflammatory diseases, aiming to identify new therapeutic targets.
Professor Yoon Kyung Jeon's research lab focuses on the tumor microenvironment and immune regulation in lymphomas, particularly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The lab investigates key immune cells such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and regulatory T-cells (Tregs), as well as immune checkpoint molecules like PD-1 and PD-L1, to understand their prognostic and therapeutic implications. A central theme is identifying novel immune targets—such as Pellino-1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in immune signaling—for cancer immunotherapy. The lab integrates preclinical models with clinical pathology to translate basic findings into potential immunotherapeutic strategies.
