Explore research labs at leading universities worldwide — research fields and key papers at a glance.
Professor Junseo Oh's research lab focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fibrosis and inflammation in metabolic and fibrotic diseases, with a particular emphasis on stellate cells in the pancreas and liver, as well as macrophage-mediated hypertension. The lab investigates the roles of endogenous proteins such as albumin and TIMPs in regulating cell activation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and vitamin D signaling in immune and stromal cells. Key research directions include the therapeutic potential of targeted protein delivery (e.g., R-III fusion protein) to inactivate activated stellate cells and modulate fibrotic responses, as well as the impact of vitamin D deficiency on immune cell function in disease pathogenesis.
Professor Jong Won Seo's research lab specializes in digital transformation and intelligent management of civil infrastructure, with a focus on tunneling, underground utilities, and heritage buildings. The lab develops advanced digital solutions such as digital twins, BIM-GIS integration, and machine learning to enhance project performance, safety, and sustainability. Key research directions include data-driven decision-making, design-for-safety, and real-time monitoring in complex construction environments.
Professor Jee Youn Moon's research lab specializes in clinical pain management and neuromodulation, with a focus on improving patient outcomes through innovative non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. The lab investigates the application of virtual reality as a non-sedative distraction technique during spinal anesthesia, explores predictive clinical factors for radiofrequency thermocoagulation success in trigeminal neuralgia, and develops and validates pain assessment tools such as the Korean version of the painDETECT questionnaire. Additionally, the lab examines the neuropharmacological mechanisms of analgesics like nefopam and natural compounds such as eugenol on GABAergic signaling in sensory neurons.
Professor Hae-Won Park's research lab specializes in dynamic legged locomotion, focusing on the development of agile, efficient, and adaptive robotic systems for challenging terrains and diverse environments. The lab explores bio-inspired control strategies for bounding, galloping, and climbing gaits, emphasizing real-time feedback, impulse-based force control, and terrain adaptation without prior knowledge. Key research directions include untethered robotic running, versatile climbing on ferromagnetic surfaces, and the integration of feedback and feedforward control for stable periodic motion across variable speeds and disturbances.
Professor Jeonghun Ahn's research lab specializes in health services research with a focus on health policy, health technology assessment (HTA), and value-based healthcare (VBHC). The lab investigates healthcare decision-making processes, particularly the role of social values—such as equity, transparency, and clinical effectiveness—in setting health priorities. It also conducts economic evaluations of infectious diseases, including the socioeconomic burden of antimicrobial-resistant infections, and explores cost-effective screening strategies like VFA-based X-ray for vertebral fractures. The lab emphasizes real-world evidence, patient-reported outcomes, and multivariate analytical methods to inform sustainable and patient-centered healthcare policies.
Professor Yun Ju Song's research lab specializes in the rational design and engineering of artificial metalloenzymes and supramolecular protein assemblies, focusing on creating novel catalytic activities through controlled metal coordination and protein self-assembly. The lab pioneers the development of functional metalloenzymes—such as artificial metallo-β-lactamases and hydrolases—by repurposing protein scaffolds and exploiting interfacial metal sites to enable catalysis in biological environments. Central to their work is the use of unnatural amino acids and metal-templating strategies to construct robust, selective, and evolvable protein architectures with applications in biocatalysis and antibiotic resistance. The lab integrates structural biology, spectroscopy, and directed evolution to understand and optimize the function of synthetic metalloproteins.
Professor Seung Jae Moon's research lab specializes in the electronic and structural characterization of advanced functional materials, with a focus on transition metal oxides, rare-earth compounds, and nanostructured semiconductors. The lab employs advanced spectroscopic techniques—such as optical spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and density-functional theory calculations—to investigate electronic phenomena including electron correlation, spin-charge ordering, and superconductivity in complex oxides. Additionally, the lab explores materials processing techniques like pulsed laser sintering and recrystallization for applications in flexible and large-area electronics, emphasizing the control of microstructure and electrical properties. The integration of experimental and computational methods enables the development of materials for next-generation electronic and energy devices.
Professor Jeongui Park's research lab focuses on cardiovascular molecular biology and genetics, with a primary emphasis on the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). The lab investigates key molecular players such as heme oxygenase systems, heat shock proteins (e.g., Hsp27), and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily members (e.g., CD137) in vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, and plaque formation. It also conducts population-based genetic studies, including GWAS in Asian cohorts, to identify susceptibility loci for CAD and myocardial infarction, particularly on chromosome 9p21. Additionally, the lab explores ion channel mutations, such as SCN3B Val110Ile, in the context of inherited cardiac arrhythmias like Brugada syndrome.
Professor Ju-Won Park's research lab focuses on sphingolipid metabolism and its role in cellular signaling, particularly in metabolic diseases and inflammation. The lab investigates how ceramide acyl chain length—regulated by ceramide synthases—impacts insulin resistance, colitis, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Using genetically engineered mouse models, such as CerS2 knockout mice, the lab explores the pathophysiological roles of specific sphingolipid species in disease progression. The research also extends to lipid signaling mechanisms and their implications in metabolic and inflammatory disorders.
Professor Gwang-In Kim's research lab specializes in geometric deep learning and manifold-based methods for computer vision and machine learning. The lab focuses on leveraging intrinsic and extrinsic geometry of data manifolds to improve semi-supervised learning, dimensionality reduction, and pattern recognition. Key research directions include anisotropic diffusion on graphs, kernel methods for nonlinear feature extraction, and Riemannian manifold learning for predictor fusion and robust representation learning.
Professor Mi Jung Kim's research lab focuses on plant molecular biology and biotechnology, with a central emphasis on metabolic engineering of plant oils and natural products for sustainable bioenergy and high-value applications. The lab investigates key regulatory mechanisms in lipid metabolism, stress response signaling, and transcriptional regulation in model and crop plants such as Arabidopsis, Jatropha curcas, and Stevia. Using advanced molecular tools including RNAi, CRISPR, and transgenic overexpression, the lab aims to enhance seed oil content and improve the biosynthesis of valuable natural compounds like steviol glycosides. Their work bridges fundamental plant biology with practical biotechnological solutions for biofuels and nutraceuticals.
Professor Ji-Wook Cha's research lab focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying internalizing disorders, particularly anxiety and depression, using multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, DTI, structural MRI) and large-scale health data analytics. The lab investigates brain circuits involved in threat processing, reward dysfunction in eating disorders, and the neurodevelopmental impact of prenatal exposures and sleep disorders. A key focus is translating neurobiological findings into predictive models for mental health conditions using population-level data.
Professor Kwangsoon Kim's research lab focuses on the intricate interactions between the host immune system and the gut microbiota, particularly how dietary antigens and specific commensal bacteria induce regulatory T cells to maintain intestinal immune homeostasis. The lab investigates the immunomodulatory roles of microbial metabolites and cell wall components—such as those from *Akkermansia muciniphila* and yeast-derived polysaccharides—in shaping innate and adaptive immune responses. A central theme is the identification of microbial signals that promote tolerance or inflammation, with translational applications in inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic disorders. The lab also explores the role of host factors, such as HIF in myeloid cells, in regulating angiogenesis and immune cell function in tissue repair and inflammation.
Professor Ji Hye Park's research lab focuses on the complex interplay between the gut microbiota, chronic inflammatory diseases, and gastrointestinal malignancies, with a particular emphasis on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). The lab investigates microbial dysbiosis, host-microbe interactions, and the role of microbial extracellular vesicles in disease pathogenesis, aiming to uncover novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Research also extends to hepatobiliary diseases, especially HBV-related cirrhosis, where renal safety of antiviral therapies is evaluated. The lab integrates clinical epidemiology with molecular microbiology to advance precision medicine in gastrointestinal disorders.
Professor Sung Min Yoon's research lab specializes in digital twin technologies and virtual sensing for intelligent, energy-efficient building operations across the entire building life cycle. The lab focuses on developing in situ model fusion techniques, digital twin frameworks, and advanced sensing methodologies tailored to the unique challenges of the building industry. Research also extends to sustainable construction materials, such as coal combustion by-products, and their performance in civil infrastructure. The lab integrates data-driven modeling, embedded sensing, and smart system design to enable real-time monitoring, calibration, and optimization of built environments.
Professor Tae Seob Moon's research lab specializes in statistical signal processing, machine learning, and information theory, with a focus on developing robust algorithms for signal denoising, sequential data analysis, and ranking systems. The lab explores universal and adaptive filtering techniques, particularly in challenging environments such as radar-based human activity recognition on water and noisy communication channels. A key research direction involves online and adaptive learning methods that leverage real-time feedback to improve performance in dynamic environments. The lab also investigates hybrid learning paradigms in ranking and deep learning, emphasizing efficiency and theoretical guarantees.
Professor Min Yong Kang's research lab specializes in regenerative medicine and cancer biology, with a focus on stem cell differentiation for urological tissue engineering and the development of novel therapeutic strategies for genitourinary cancers. The lab investigates the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional urothelial and kidney cells for cell replacement therapy and disease modeling, while also exploring the anti-cancer effects of statins and autophagy modulation in bladder and prostate cancers. Their work integrates stem cell biology, cancer stem cell-derived organoids, and molecular mechanisms of drug response to advance precision medicine in urological diseases.
Professor Hyungdu Park's research lab specializes in clinical biomarker discovery and translational diagnostics, with a focus on improving early detection and management of metabolic and oncological diseases. The lab investigates novel serum and molecular markers—such as CA19-9, cathepsin D, MMPs, and AFP—across conditions like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, glycogen storage diseases, and hepatocellular carcinoma. It also explores advanced mass spectrometry techniques, including Q-TOF-MS, to enhance the quantitative accuracy of small molecule analysis in clinical settings. The lab emphasizes personalized medicine through optimized diagnostic cutoffs based on patient-specific factors like hepatitis status or HbA1c-derived average glucose.
Professor Sung-Ho Bae's research lab specializes in human visual system (HVS)-inspired image and video processing, with a strong focus on perceptual quality assessment, just-noticeable distortion (JND) modeling, and advanced computer vision applications. The lab develops computational models that integrate visual perception principles—such as contrast sensitivity, luminance adaptation, and masking effects—into practical solutions for image/video compression, quality assessment, and autonomous vehicle systems. Key research directions include structural and perceptual modeling for image quality, real-time LiDAR-based lane detection for high-definition map generation, and efficient coding of ultra-high-definition (4K UHD) video. The lab emphasizes the integration of psychophysical insights with engineering applications to enhance visual fidelity and system efficiency.
Professor Sang Hoon Song's research lab focuses on diverse scientific domains spanning biomedicine, pharmaceutical analysis, and materials science. The lab investigates female sexual dysfunction in the Korean population, explores biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnosis, and conducts advanced drug monitoring using HPLC/MS/MS. Additionally, the lab studies microbial ecology in traditional Korean fermentation products like nuruk and develops layered perovskite materials for energy storage applications, particularly lithium-ion insertion in oxide-based cathodes. These interdisciplinary efforts reflect a strong commitment to translational health research and functional materials development.
