Explore research labs at leading universities worldwide — research fields and key papers at a glance.
Professor Ye-eun Kim's research lab focuses on bioactive natural products and their therapeutic applications in cancer and immune modulation, with an emphasis on plant-derived extracts and microbial fermentation products. The lab investigates molecular mechanisms underlying anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects using in vitro and in vivo models, including spheroid cultures and animal studies. Additionally, the lab explores human-computer interaction and immersive technologies, particularly virtual reality, to enhance user experience through diegetic interface design and address issues related to digital over-engagement. The integration of biomedical research with digital innovation reflects a unique interdisciplinary approach.
Professor Sae-Hoon Bang's research lab specializes in industrial organization, antitrust economics, and intellectual property economics, with a focus on market power, pricing strategies, and regulatory interventions in dynamic and information-asymmetric markets. The lab investigates strategic behaviors such as price discrimination, tying arrangements, and resale price maintenance, particularly in digital and technology-driven industries. It also explores the welfare implications of compulsory licensing and vertical restraints, often integrating game-theoretic models with real-world policy contexts.
Professor Soomuk Moon's research lab specializes in computer architecture, embedded systems, and systems software optimization. The lab focuses on advancing semiconductor technology scaling, particularly in advanced FinFET processes and high-performance microprocessor design, while also exploring compiler optimizations and virtual machine techniques for mobile and embedded platforms. Key research directions include instruction-level parallelism, efficient memory access in ILP machines, and just-in-time compilation for mobile runtime environments such as the Dalvik VM. The lab also investigates system-level performance improvements through intelligent parsing and code generation strategies in web and mobile applications.
Professor Kang Minho's research lab specializes in classical Chinese literature, with a focus on poetic forms, literary aesthetics, and the historical development of Chinese verse. The lab explores key themes such as the canonization of Du Fu’s poetry, the artistry and structural complexity of regulated verse (lüshi), the role of rhetorical devices like antithetical couplets, and the cultural significance of poetic forms like heishou (regulated verse) and xiyun (palm-verse) poetry. The lab also investigates pedagogical approaches in classical Chinese language education, particularly in curriculum design and textbook development for modern learners.
Professor Hyeong-sung Kwon's research lab specializes in ancient Greek philosophy, with a primary focus on the philosophical foundations of art, aesthetics, and metaphysics in Plato and Aristotle. The lab explores central concepts such as mimesis, catharsis, and substance (ousia), emphasizing their ontological, epistemological, and ethical dimensions within classical texts. It engages in critical re-evaluation of traditional interpretations through close textual analysis and comparative hermeneutics, particularly drawing on Aristotle’s *Poetics*, *Nicomachean Ethics*, and *Metaphysics* Z. The lab also investigates the historical reception of key philosophical ideas, especially through 18th-century German aesthetics, as seen in Lessing’s interpretation of catharsis.
Professor Yuseong Kim's research lab specializes in regulatory and legal frameworks governing emerging financial and healthcare technologies, with a strong focus on insurance law, corporate governance, and fintech regulation. The lab investigates critical legal issues such as the scope of health insurance coverage, the integration of public health programs with private insurance, and the legal implications of new financial instruments like virtual asset services and pre-announcement trading systems. The research also explores the evolving role of judicial interpretation in shaping corporate accountability and investor protection in complex financial markets.
Professor Ae Hee Kim's research lab specializes in metabolic and cardiovascular disease epidemiology, with a focus on identifying novel, clinically applicable biomarkers and risk prediction models for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The lab investigates the role of metabolic and antioxidant markers—such as triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) and bilirubin—in predicting and stratifying metabolic disease risk, particularly through large-scale, population-based cohort studies. Their work emphasizes translational research that bridges clinical practice and public health by developing simple, feasible tools for early detection and prevention.
Professor Jong Hyun Ji's research lab specializes in nephrology and metabolic kidney diseases, with a strong focus on chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, hyponatremia management, and the impact of metabolic derangements on renal outcomes. The lab employs epidemiological studies, clinical cohort analyses, and advanced machine learning models to predict kidney disease progression and optimize treatment strategies. Key research directions include atherogenic indices as risk markers for CKD, statin intensity in CKD outcomes, and the obesity paradox in acute kidney injury. The lab also contributes to national clinical practice guidelines, particularly in electrolyte disorders and kidney disease management.
Professor Gi-Wook Lee's research lab specializes in clinical and translational neuroscience, focusing on cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cerebrovascular imaging. The lab investigates the pathophysiology and diagnostic biomarkers of conditions such as carotid artery stenosis, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, with an emphasis on advanced neuroimaging techniques like MRI, TCD, and diffusion-weighted imaging. Research directions include early diagnosis, vascular mechanisms in neurodegeneration, and the role of genetic factors in young-onset Parkinson’s disease. The lab integrates clinical neurology with molecular and radiological approaches to improve patient outcomes and disease understanding.
Professor Bong-Hwan Han's research lab focuses on transformative undergraduate education, particularly in the areas of liberal arts and general education reform, international student integration, and residential college (RC) education. The lab investigates the impact of curriculum innovations on student learning outcomes, satisfaction, and holistic development, with a strong emphasis on fostering intercultural competence, student belonging, and experiential learning. Recent work explores the effectiveness of online and hybrid RC programs during the pandemic, highlighting their role in sustaining student engagement and community building in virtual environments.
Professor Jae Eun Shin's research lab specializes in health policy, digital health innovation, and public-private partnerships, with a strong focus on improving chronic disease management through technology-driven solutions. The lab explores the effectiveness of online-to-offline (O2O) digital healthcare models, evaluates international development cooperation frameworks such as Korea’s Knowledge Sharing Program, and investigates the role of corporate social responsibility in global development. Additionally, the lab examines social integration in post-conflict and post-unification contexts, drawing on comparative case studies like German reunification to inform policy in North Korea’s potential future integration.
Professor Ji Sun Lim's research lab focuses on the socio-economic implications of emerging technologies, particularly in the context of digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, and labor market dynamics. The lab investigates how information and communication technologies (ICTs) reshape human behavior, organizational practices, and institutional frameworks—ranging from social media’s role in shaping communication patterns to the impact of 4th industrial revolution technologies on employment and lifelong learning. A central theme is the transition toward prosumer economies and the development of human capital strategies that support sustainable innovation and inclusive growth. The lab also explores entrepreneurial ecosystems, with a special emphasis on venture capital decision-making and the role of human capital in accelerating firm growth and initial public offering (IPO) timelines.
Professor Myung Hyun Lee's research spans interdisciplinary fields at the intersection of science, philosophy, and cultural studies. His work focuses on fundamental physics, particularly in the context of underground particle physics experiments such as AMoRE-II, which aims to detect neutrinoless double beta decay. He also engages deeply with philosophical and literary traditions, especially Russian religious philosophy and the modernist poetic avant-garde, exploring concepts like Sophia in Russian thought and the poetic identity in figures such as Mayakovsky and Kim Soo-Young. His research bridges scientific inquiry with cultural and existential inquiry, emphasizing the role of poetry and myth in shaping modern consciousness.
Professor Seung-hyun Yoo's research lab specializes in human-centered design and user experience (UX) innovation, focusing on the intersection of emerging display technologies, interactive interfaces, and inclusive design for diverse user groups. The lab investigates perceptual and cognitive aspects of visual information processing in transparent and public displays, explores intuitive gesture-based interaction for smart devices, and develops optimized UX methodologies tailored for real-world industrial applications—particularly in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. A key emphasis is placed on creating accessible, usable, and context-aware digital experiences for elderly and vulnerable populations in public and commercial spaces.
Professor Hyun Joon Jung's research lab specializes in the development and characterization of advanced functional oxides for energy conversion and storage applications. The lab focuses on p-type semiconducting oxides—particularly CuBi₂O₄—for photoelectrochemical water reduction, aiming to improve solar energy conversion efficiency. Using advanced electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques, the group investigates defect structures and ion transport mechanisms in complex oxides such as stabilized zirconia, ceria, and bismuth oxide-based materials. Their work bridges materials synthesis, atomic-scale defect analysis, and electrochemical performance evaluation to design next-generation materials for sustainable energy technologies.
Professor Hwaseon Lim's research lab focuses on the impact of environmental chemicals and metabolic stressors on human health, particularly in the context of metabolic disorders, reproductive toxicity, and developmental toxicity. The lab investigates metabolism-disrupting chemicals (MDCs), fungicides like tolylfluanid and flutriafol, and saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid, examining their effects on cellular function, inflammation, and disease progression. A key focus is on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), placental development, and neuroinflammation using in vitro and zebrafish models. The lab also explores the therapeutic potential of marine algae, such as *Agarum clathratum*, in mitigating inflammatory and oxidative stress.
Professor Won-Ja Song's research lab specializes in corporate governance, audit quality, and behavioral corporate finance, with a strong focus on the interplay between executive behavior, risk perception, and financial reporting quality. The lab investigates how managerial myopia—particularly through practices like ESG-washing—and auditor decision-making, especially under asymmetric cost behavior, affect firm value and audit outcomes. Current research explores the role of audit firm characteristics, such as Big 4 status and industry specialization, in shaping audit effort and fees in response to earnings management incentives.
Professor Young-Sin Kwo's research lab focuses on critical discourse analysis and cultural studies, examining the intersections of power, inequality, and ideology in contemporary Korean society. The lab investigates how media, popular culture, and public discourse shape and reflect social values, particularly around fairness, meritocracy, and class struggle. It explores the contradictions within cultural products—such as dramas, films, and K-pop—revealing how resistance and commodification coexist in global cultural phenomena like Hallyu. The lab also analyzes the role of media and digital platforms in reproducing or challenging structural inequities.
Professor LEE Kwan Seok's research lab specializes in the critical study of modern and contemporary museum architecture, with a focus on the philosophical, spatial, and formal principles underlying seminal works by architects such as Tadao Ando, Le Corbusier, Frank Gehry, and Richard Meier. The lab explores architectural phenomenology, the role of circulation and light in shaping spatial experience, and the ideological foundations of modern architecture—particularly the interplay between machine aesthetics, spiritual values, and urban context. Research emphasizes how architectural form and programmatic intent converge to create transformative museum experiences.
Professor Yun Geun Young's research lab specializes in building energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable building design. The lab focuses on optimizing thermal comfort, lighting performance, and HVAC system efficiency through field measurements, simulation studies, and occupant behavior analysis. Research directions include energy-saving technologies in office buildings, daylighting and glare control, and policy-oriented strategies for zero-energy buildings.
