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Soo Hee Choi

Seoul National University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Soo Hee Choi's research lab specializes in the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying mental health disorders, with a focus on brain network dynamics, emotional regulation, and social cognition. The lab investigates functional brain connectivity in conditions such as delirium, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and schizophrenia, using advanced neuroimaging and virtual reality technologies. Key research directions include the neural correlates of stress, emotional intelligence, and social behavior, as well as the role of cytokines and hemispheric dominance in cognitive and emotional functioning.

functional connectivitysocial anxiety disorderposttraumatic stress disordervirtual realityemotional regulation

Research Overview

Papers
118
Total Citations
2,053
Papers (5y)
26
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
26total
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Citations per year (5y)
87total
20222023202420252026

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|236 citations·2012
Neural Network Functional Connectivity During and After an Episode of Delirium
Soo‐Hee Choi, Hyeongrae Lee, Tae-Sub Chung, Kyung‐Min Park, Young‐Chul Jung, Sun I. Kim, Jae‐Jin Kim
SJR Q1American Journal of Psychiatry

These findings suggest that the disruption in reciprocity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with the posterior cingulate cortex and reversible reduction of functional connectivity of subcortical regions may underlie the pathophysiology of delirium. In addition, enhanced integration in the posteromedial cortices may account for facilitating the rapid improvement of delirium.

Cognitive NeuroscienceNeuroscience
2
Article|55 citations·2017
The left middle temporal gyrus in the middle of an impaired social-affective communication network in social anxiety disorder
Je‐Yeon Yun, Jae-Chang Kim, Jeonghun Ku, Jung-Eun Shin, Jae‐Jin Kim, Soo‐Hee Choi
SJR Q1Journal of Affective DisordersOA

This study showed the importance of functional communication from the left middle temporal gyrus with other opercular-insular-subcortical regions for better objective functioning and lesser subjective disability in SAD.

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
3
Article|55 citations·2019
Relationships among stress, emotional intelligence, cognitive intelligence, and cytokines
Ye-Ha Jung, Na Young Shin, Joon Hwan Jang, Won Joon Lee, Dasom Lee, Yoobin Choi, Soo‐Hee Choi, Do‐Hyung Kang
SJR Q3MedicineOA

The brain has multiple functions, and its structures are very closely related to one another. Thus, the brain areas associated with stress, emotion, and intelligence are closely connected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the multiple associations between stress and emotional intelligence (EI), between EI and intelligence quotient (IQ), between cytokines and stress, and between cytokines and IQ. We measured the stress, EI, cognitive intelligence using IQ, and cytokine levels of 70 he

Behavioral NeuroscienceNeuroscience
4
Article|37 citations·2018
Interpersonal trauma moderates the relationship between personality factors and suicidality of individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder
Yongjoon Yoo, Hyeon-Ju Park, Soowon Park, Maeng Je Cho, Seong‐Jin Cho, Ji Yeon Lee, Ji Yeon Lee, Soo‐Hee Choi, Jun-Young Lee, Jun-Young Lee
SJR Q1PLoS ONEOA

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more prone to suicidal ideation and behavior. While those who have experienced interpersonal trauma exhibit more suicidality than those who have experienced non-interpersonal trauma, it is unclear how the traumatic effects are related to an individual's personality characteristics. This study examined the association between interpersonal trauma and personality factors with suicidality, and elucidated the moderating role of interpersonal

Clinical PsychologyPsychology
5
Article|32 citations·2010
Deficits in Eye Gaze During Negative Social Interactions in Patients With Schizophrenia
Soo‐Hee Choi, Jeonghun Ku, Kiwan Han, Eosu Kim, Sun I. Kim, Jun-Young Park, Jae‐Jin Kim
SJR Q3The Journal of Nervous and Mental DiseaseOA

Impaired social functioning has been reported in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine characteristics of interpersonal behaviors in patients with schizophrenia during various social interactions using the virtual reality system. Twenty-six patients and 26 controls engaged in the virtual conversation tasks, including 3 positive and 3 negative emotion-laden conversations. Eye gaze and other behavioral parameters were recorded during the listening and answering phases. The amoun

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
6
Article|32 citations·2016
Looking at the self in front of others: Neural correlates of attentional bias in social anxiety
Soo‐Hee Choi, Jung-Eun Shin, Jeonghun Ku, Jae‐Jin Kim
SJR Q1Journal of Psychiatric ResearchOA
Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
7
Article|32 citations·2017
Aversive eye gaze during a speech in virtual environment in patients with social anxiety disorder
Haena Kim, Jung Eun Shin, Yeon-Ju Hong, Yu‐Bin Shin, Young Seok Shin, Kiwan Han, Jae‐Jin Kim, Soo‐Hee Choi
SJR Q1Australian & New Zealand Journal of PsychiatryOA

OBJECTIVE: One of the main characteristics of social anxiety disorder is excessive fear of social evaluation. In such situations, anxiety can influence gaze behaviour. Thus, the current study adopted virtual reality to examine eye gaze pattern of social anxiety disorder patients while presenting different types of speeches. METHODS: A total of 79 social anxiety disorder patients and 51 healthy controls presented prepared speeches on general topics and impromptu speeches on self-related topics to

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
8
Article|30 citations·2019
Comparison of psychiatric disturbances in patients with multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica
Joon Sung Shin, Young Nam Kwon, Yoobin Choi, Jae Yeon Lee, Yoonji Irene Lee, Ju Hyun Hwang, Soo‐Hee Choi, Sung‐Min Kim
SJR Q3MedicineOA

Although both multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) are demyelinating diseases, their psychiatric disturbances may differ given differences in the neurological manifestations. We used subjective and objective measurements to compare the psychiatric disturbances in patients with MS and NMO.Psychiatric disturbances were assessed in 24 MS and 35 NMO patients using the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Symptom Checklist-95 and the brief version of World Health Organization Quality of Life. P

Pathology and Forensic MedicineMedicine
9
Article|28 citations·2018
Neural evidence for persistent attentional bias to threats in patients with social anxiety disorder
So-Yeon Kim, Jung Eun Shin, Yoonji Irene Lee, Haena Kim, Hang Joon Jo, Soo‐Hee Choi
SJR Q1Social Cognitive and Affective NeuroscienceOA

Does the biased attention toward social threats dwells on or disappears in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD)? We investigated the neural mechanism of attentional bias in terms of attentional capture and holding in SAD. A total of 31 SAD patients and 30 healthy controls performed a continuous performance task detecting the orientation of a red letter 'T' while angry or neutral face distractors appeared or disappeared at the center of the screen. Behaviorally, typical attentional capture

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
10
Article|19 citations·2013
Neural basis of anhedonia as a failure to predict pleasantness in schizophrenia
Soo‐Hee Choi, Hyeongrae Lee, Jeonghun Ku, Kang Joon Yoon, Jae‐Jin Kim
SJR Q1The World Journal of Biological PsychiatryOA

Augmentation of hedonic enjoyment between the predictive and experiential stages of anticipatory pleasure is reduced in schizophrenia because of diminished activity in the reward-related regions during the prediction of pleasure. During cued-emotional experiences of anticipatory pleasure, patients seem to have difficulties in the integration of emotional information.

Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine
11
Article|11 citations·2021
Dysfunctional energy metabolisms in fibromyalgia compared with healthy subjects
Ye-Ha Jung, Hyeonjin Kim, Dasom Lee, Jae-Yeon Lee, Jee Youn Moon, Soo‐Hee Choi, Do‐Hyung Kang
SJR Q1Molecular PainOA

This study aimed to investigate the levels of creatine (Cr) metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), thalamus, and insula of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The levels of Cr and phosphocreatine (PCr) relative to total Cr (tCr), which includes Cr and PCr, in the ACC, thalamus, and insula were determined using MRS in 12 patients with FM and in 13 healthy controls. The FM group had lower levels of PCr/tCr in the ACC and right insula com

Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine
12
Article|11 citations·2017
Association between memory impairment and brain metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder
Jung Eun Shin, Chi‐Hoon Choi, Jong Min Lee, Jun Soo Kwon, So Hee Lee, Hyun-Chung Kim, Nayoung Han, Soo‐Hee Choi, So Young Yoo
SJR Q1PLoS ONEOA

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had experiences of enormous psychological stress that can result in neurocognitive and neurochemical changes. To date, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. The present study is to investigate the association between neurocognitive characteristics and neural metabolite concentrations in North Korean refugees with PTSD. A total of 53 North Korean refugees with or without PTSD underwent neurocognitive function tests. For neural

Developmental NeuroscienceNeuroscience
13
Article|8 citations·2018
Investigating effective treatment factors in brief cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder
Jae-A Lim, Yoonji Irene Lee, Joon Hwan Jang, Soo‐Hee Choi
SJR Q3MedicineOA

Numerous studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on panic disorders (PDs). There has also been growing attention on brief CBT with regard to delivering intensive treatment efficiently. This study investigated the essential parts of mindfulness-based brief CBT to optimize treatment benefits.A total of 37 patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study. They were recruited from the anxiety/panic/fear clinic of Seoul National University Hospit

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyPsychology
14
Article|8 citations·2021
The Effect of Postmigration Factors on Quality of Life among North Korean Refugees Living in South Korea
Jung Eun Shin, Jung‐Seok Choi, Soo‐Hee Choi, So Young Yoo
SJR Q2International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthOA

North Korean refugees have not only endured traumatic experiences in North Korea and during defection but have also undergone an adaptation process after arrival in South Korea. Their quality of life (QoL) is likely to be affected by these traumatic life events, leading to subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or postmigration adaptation-related stress, which involves a sense of dislocation with the culture, language, and people in South Korea. We investigated which aspects predicted

Clinical PsychologyPsychology
15
Article|7 citations·2023
Central metabolites and peripheral parameters associated neuroinflammation in fibromyalgia patients: A preliminary study
Ye-Ha Jung, Hyeonjin Kim, Seongho Seo, Dasom Lee, Jae‐Yeon Lee, Jee Youn Moon, Gi Jeong Cheon, Soo‐Hee Choi, Do-Hyung Kang
SJR Q3MedicineOA

To identify central metabolites and peripheral measures associated with neuroinflammation in fibromyalgia (FM), we scanned [11C]-(R)-PK11195 positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in FM patients. We measured associations between neurometabolite levels measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the extent of neuroinflammation inferred by the distribution volume ratios of [11C]-(R)-PK11195 positron emission tomography in 12 FM patients and 13 healthy controls. We als

Psychiatry and Mental healthMedicine

Research Areas

Experimental and Cognitive PsychologyCognitive NeurosciencePsychiatry and Mental healthClinical PsychologyCardiology and Cardiovascular MedicineAnesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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