Explore research labs at leading universities worldwide — research fields and key papers at a glance.
Professor Miran Kang's research lab focuses on molecular oncology, with a central emphasis on identifying somatic mutations in cancer-related genes such as IDH1 and their roles in tumorigenesis. The lab also investigates autophagy-related genes and their frameshift mutations in microsatellite instability-high cancers, particularly in gastric and colorectal carcinomas. Additionally, the lab explores viral genetics, including HIV-1 subtypes in the Korean population, and examines the molecular mechanisms of DNA topology and enzyme function, such as topoisomerase I at telomeric regions. The lab further extends into translational and functional studies, including natural compounds like clove and red yeast rice for food preservation and metabolic health.
Professor Cho Rok Lee's research lab specializes in thyroid cancer research, with a primary focus on papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and familial PTMC (FPTMC), investigating their biological behavior, prognostic factors, and optimal surgical management. The lab explores critical clinical variables such as lymph node ratio (LNR), central lymph node metastasis, and recurrence prediction to guide personalized treatment strategies. Additionally, the lab contributes to surgical innovation through the development and evaluation of robotic surgical simulators to enhance training and improve surgical outcomes. Their work bridges clinical oncology, surgical technique, and patient prognosis, particularly in low-risk and familial thyroid cancer subtypes.
Professor Won-jae Yoon's research lab specializes in gastrointestinal oncology and pancreaticobiliary diseases, with a focus on the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and clinical management of pancreatic and biliary tract neoplasms. The lab investigates the role of biomarkers—such as methylated NPTX2 and cyst fluid CEA—in differentiating pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatitis, and explores the impact of surgical interventions like cholecystectomy on gut microbiota and disease progression. Using advanced endoscopic techniques, molecular diagnostics, and next-generation sequencing, the lab aims to improve early detection and personalized treatment strategies for pancreatic and gallbladder neoplasms.
Professor Kunmin Kim's research lab focuses on oncology and translational medicine, with a strong emphasis on understanding and improving outcomes in gastrointestinal and liver cancers. The lab investigates mechanisms of drug resistance, particularly involving YAP and MAP3K3 signaling pathways, and explores novel therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance in melanoma and other malignancies. Additionally, the lab examines cardiotoxicity in cancer survivors, utilizing advanced imaging techniques like cardiac MRI to detect early changes and identify prognostic markers. The team also studies the impact of non-traditional treatments, such as long-term edible charcoal use, on gastrointestinal pathology.
Professor Young Chan Kim's research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains, primarily focusing on vaccinology, urological physiology, and customer value-driven marketing strategies. His work in vaccinology highlights the role of recombinant genetic technologies in accelerating vaccine development, particularly in response to global health challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. In biomedical research, he has contributed to understanding vascular regulation in the corpus cavernosum, with implications for urological and sexual health. Additionally, his research in marketing emphasizes the theoretical and empirical integration of customer value, using methods such as Laddering and hierarchical value mapping to inform market segmentation and strategic decision-making in product development.
Professor Min-gwang Byeon's research lab specializes in respiratory medicine, with a focus on chronic lung diseases such as COPD, bronchiectasis, and pulmonary infections. The lab investigates the pathophysiology of conditions like sarcopenia and systemic inflammation in COPD, explores respiratory phenotypes such as PRISm, and evaluates novel therapeutic strategies for drug-resistant infections like colistin-resistant *Acinetobacter baumannii*. The lab also examines clinical outcomes in pleural empyema and the role of advanced microbiological techniques in identifying respiratory pathogens.
Professor Jong Wook Song's research lab specializes in perioperative medicine, with a focus on optimizing surgical outcomes through innovative anesthetic and analgesic strategies. The lab investigates mechanisms of postoperative pain, hyperalgesia, and nausea/vomiting, aiming to improve patient recovery and reduce complications. Key research directions include the role of adjuvant medications such as magnesium sulfate, dexamethasone, pregabalin, and ondansetron in modulating pain and side effects, as well as exploring novel pathways in endothelial glycocalyx degradation during sepsis. The lab also employs advanced monitoring techniques like cerebral oximetry to assess brain perfusion and its link to postoperative delirium in elderly patients.
Professor Sung-Hwan Han's research lab specializes in the design and synthesis of advanced nanomaterials for energy conversion and environmental applications. Key research directions include the development of efficient catalysts for carbon dioxide conversion into methanol, the fabrication of nanostructured semiconductors (such as TiO₂ and CdS) for solar energy conversion and photocatalysis, and the creation of functional nanomaterials for energy storage and biomedical diagnostics. The lab also focuses on innovative low-temperature synthesis methods and heterostructure engineering to enhance material performance.
Professor JongSeok Park's research lab specializes in hardware-software co-design for energy-efficient and high-performance computing, with a strong focus on accelerating machine learning workloads—particularly Deep Neural Networks—through customized accelerators. The lab explores innovative solutions in FPGA-based acceleration, approximate computing using analog and low-precision computation, and in-network data compression to reduce communication bottlenecks in distributed training. Their work bridges algorithmic insights with low-level system design to enable efficient, scalable, and programmable acceleration for emerging AI workloads.
Professor Sung Hee Cho's research lab focuses on work-life interface, employee well-being, and the psychological and behavioral dynamics influencing workplace performance. The lab investigates how intrinsic motivation, emotional intelligence, health behaviors, and technology use affect employee engagement, stress, and work-family conflict. Using daily diary and longitudinal methodologies, the lab emphasizes individual-level processes and their implications for organizational effectiveness and employee health.
Professor Cheol-Hwan Lee's research lab focuses on epigenetic regulation, particularly the molecular mechanisms of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) in chromatin modification and gene silencing. The lab investigates how histone modifications—especially H3K27 methylation—govern development and disease, with a strong emphasis on oncogenic mutations like H3K27M in pediatric brain tumors. They also explore the roles of epigenetic enzymes such as HDAC3 and DNA replication machinery components like Dna2 and Vts1 in genome stability and post-transcriptional regulation. Their work integrates quantitative proteomics, structural biology, and functional genomics to dissect epigenetic and DNA metabolic pathways in health and disease.
Professor Seung-gwan Shin's research lab specializes in evolutionary biology and molecular systematics, focusing on the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of diverse insect groups, particularly weevils, longhorn beetles, brachyceran flies, and cave crickets. The lab employs advanced phylogenomic techniques, including anchored hybrid enrichment and multi-gene analyses, to resolve deep and shallow relationships within these taxa, often integrating molecular data with morphological and biogeographic evidence. A key focus is on resolving long-standing systematic uncertainties and describing new species, especially in understudied or economically important groups such as mycophagous flies in shiitake farming. The lab also contributes to biodiversity conservation by identifying cryptic species and proposing new taxonomic groups based on integrative approaches.
Professor So Young Yoo's research lab focuses on neuropsychiatry and medical imaging, particularly using neuroimaging techniques like voxel-based morphometry and MRI to investigate brain structure abnormalities in psychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. The lab also explores psychological and behavioral health aspects during public health crises, including the development and validation of anxiety and addiction scales related to social media and viral epidemics. Additionally, the lab contributes to pediatric and maternal-fetal radiology by studying rare conditions like neonatal ovarian torsion and hepatic nodules in childhood cancer survivors. These interdisciplinary efforts integrate neuroscience, radiology, and mental health assessment to improve clinical understanding and patient care.
Professor Yoo Jin Park's research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains, focusing on advanced materials for energy applications, stem cell-derived blood cell production, and data-driven urban mobility solutions. Her lab investigates high-efficiency electrocatalysts such as IrO2/Ti electrodes for oxygen evolution reactions under acidic conditions, aiming to enhance noble metal utilization in sustainable energy systems. In parallel, she explores the in vitro differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into functional red blood cells, addressing challenges in blood supply for rare blood types. Additionally, her work applies machine learning and functional time series analysis to model and predict subway passenger flow using real-world smart card data, contributing to intelligent urban transportation systems.
Professor Yong-Cheon Park's research lab specializes in cross-cultural psychopathology and psychopharmacology, with a focus on depressive and psychotic disorders in Asian populations. The lab investigates the clinical presentation, diagnostic heterogeneity, and treatment patterns of mood and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, emphasizing cultural influences on symptom expression—particularly the somatization of depression in Korea. Using large-scale, multi-center studies across Asia, the lab examines the validity of psychiatric rating scales, correlates of suicidal ideation, and psychotropic medication use patterns.
Professor Dong-Hoon Lee's research spans materials science and biomedical engineering, with a focus on developing high-performance aluminum alloys for structural applications through microalloying and heat treatment optimization. His work also extends to marine microbiology, particularly the study of chemosynthetic bacteria in extreme environments such as deep-sea mud volcanoes. In clinical research, he investigates laryngeal disorders and rare bone tumors, emphasizing diagnostic imaging and surgical outcomes. His interdisciplinary approach bridges materials development, environmental microbiology, and clinical otolaryngology.
Professor Jinseok Lee's research lab specializes in the design, synthesis, and application of advanced nanomaterials with a focus on hierarchical organization of functional building blocks across multiple length scales. The lab investigates the self-assembly and directed assembly of zeolites, polymers, and 2D/3D nanostructures, emphasizing the role of molecular interactions, surface topography, and interfacial engineering in controlling material architecture. Key research directions include the development of aligned zeolite arrays, ultrathin hybrid alucone films, and nanostructured substrates for biological applications such as neuronal guidance and monolayer assembly. The lab integrates advanced characterization techniques with materials synthesis to bridge molecular-level interactions with macroscopic functional performance.
Professor Dong-Hwan Lee's research lab specializes in catalysis, particularly in the development of selective and efficient transition metal-catalyzed reactions for sustainable synthesis, including C–H functionalization and cross-coupling reactions. The lab also applies machine learning and quantitative EEG analysis to identify biomarkers for major psychiatric disorders, bridging neuroscience and data science. Additionally, the lab investigates advanced materials for energy and electronic applications, such as NAND flash memory parameter estimation and mesoporous zeolite-supported catalysts. Their interdisciplinary work spans organic chemistry, materials science, biomedical data analysis, and computational modeling.
Professor Johngseok Bae's research lab specializes in human resource management (HRM) systems and their strategic impact on organizational performance, particularly in East and Southeast Asian contexts. The lab investigates high-performance work systems (HPWS), high-commitment HRM, and the role of HR capabilities in driving innovation and competitiveness. Key research directions include the interplay between HR practices, firm strategy, and performance across different national and organizational cultures, with a focus on the transition from seniority-based to performance-based systems.
Professor Yeolib Kim's research lab specializes in information systems, human-computer interaction, and technology adoption, with a strong focus on trust, reliability in measurement, and the impact of digital technologies on behavior. The lab investigates how individuals evaluate and interact with online information—particularly in health and e-commerce contexts—emphasizing trust, perceived quality, and user acceptance of digital platforms. Key research directions include the reliability of psychological and behavioral scales, the role of trust in online decision-making, and the influence of technology use on social and political engagement.
