Hyeon-Ju Lee
Hanyang University · Medicine
About the Lab
Professor Hyeon-Ju Lee's research lab focuses on neonatal and neurodevelopmental health, particularly in preterm and low-birth-weight infants. The lab investigates brain connectivity and white matter integrity using advanced neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion MRI and DTI, aiming to understand the neural underpinnings of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, the lab explores clinical interventions—such as vitamin D supplementation, kangaroo mother care, and artificial intelligence applications—to improve outcomes in vulnerable newborn populations.
Research Overview
Research Output Trend
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Selected Papers
15Previous studies have reported varying findings regarding the association of brain connectivity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with overconnectivity, underconnectivity, or both. Despite the emerging understanding that ASD is a developmental disconnection syndrome, very little is known about structural brain networks in preschool-aged children with low-functioning ASD. We aimed to investigate the structural brain connectivity of low-functioning ASD using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging an
BACKGROUND: To determine the efficacy and safety of early supplementation with 800 IU of vitamin D in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. METHODS: Sixty-six infants with a birth weight less than 1500 g admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Of these, 52 infants were eligible and received 800 IU/day vitamin D from 2 weeks of age. We examined 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25[OH]D) levels from cord blood at birth and serum at 32 and 36 weeks of postmenstrual age. RESULTS: The study infants were div
AIM: To determine the clinical characteristics and safety of kangaroo mother care (KMC) according to the gestational age (GA) or postmenstrual age (PMA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective clinical study in 31 infants between 25 and 32 weeks' GA. The subjects were categorized into two groups (25-28 weeks' and 29-32 weeks' GA groups) to compare the clinical characteristics associated with KMC. Heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature (BT) were longitud
Despite the many comorbidities and high mortality rate in preterm infants with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), therapeutic strategies vary depending on the clinical setting, and most studies of the related risk factors are based on small sample populations. We aimed to compare the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) analysis with that of conventional analysis to identify risk factors associated with symptomatic PDA (sPDA) in very low birth weight infants. This nationwide cohort study inc
A zinc–bromine redox flow battery (ZBB) has attracted increasing attention as a potential energy-storage system because of its cost-effectiveness and high energy density. However, its aqueous zinc bromide phase and non-aqueous polybromide phase are inhomogeneously mixed in the positive electrolyte. Furthermore, various equilibrium reactions, e.g., charge-transfer reactions, polybromide formation, and complexation, simultaneously occur in the battery. Because of these complex reactions, it is dif
BACKGROUND: White matter (WM) abnormalities associated with prematurity are one of the most important causes of neurological disability that involves spastic motor deficits in preterm newborns. This study aimed to evaluate regional microstructural changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) associated with WM abnormalities. METHODS: We prospectively studied extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1000 g) preterm infants who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Hanyang University Hospita
Preterm birth is associated with maternal flares and persistent ANA positivity at 12 months of life in infants born to mothers with SLE.
BACKGROUND: The mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway is a master regulator of cell growth and proliferation in the nervous system. However, the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment on the mTOR signaling pathway have not been elucidated in neonates with hypoxic/ischemic (H/I) brain injury. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of EPO by analyzing the mTOR signaling pathway after H/I injury in a neonatal rat model. METHODS: Seven-day
These results suggest that RGZ can restore alveolar and pulmonary vascular development and lessen pulmonary hypertension in a rat model of BPD.
In a nationwide prospective cohort of Korean infants with very low birthweights (VLBW, birth weight < 1500 g) from 70 neonatal intensive care units of the Korean Neonatal Network, we investigated neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) from 2132 infants with VLBW who had undergone developmental assessments at 18-24 months of corrected age. Motor, cognitive, or language delay was determined using developmental scores that were less than 1 standard devi
Perinatal stroke in neonates can lead to disability in later life. However, its etiology and prognosis are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to describe clinical presentations and neurodevelopmental outcomes of our case series of perinatal stroke in Korea. Thirteen term and preterm neonates who were diagnosed with perinatal stroke in two university hospitals from March 2003 to March 2007 were enrolled. Seven term and 6 preterm neonates were diagnosed with perinatal stroke, based on th
This study aimed to elaborate upon prior findings suggestive of the altered lateralization of structural connectivity in the developing preterm brain by using diffusion tensor imaging tractography to explore how network topological asymmetries in fronto-limbic neural circuitry are altered at 36-41 weeks, postmenstrual age in 64 preterm infants without severe brain injury and 33 term-born infants. We compared the pattern of structural connectivity and network lateralization of the betweenness cen
Serial measurements of serum ALP and phosphate are associated with decreased bone mineralization by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry at discharge in extremely low birth weight infants.
BACKGROUND: The use of amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is increasing during the neonatal intensive care of preterm infants. OBJECTIVE: This prospective study was designed to assess factors that affect the maturation of aEEG activity in preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) of <32 weeks. METHODS: aEEGs with cerebral function monitoring were performed weekly in preterm infants, and the recordings were evaluated and scored to assess the degree of continuity, the degree of s
Neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) in preterm infants has become of great interest. We aimed to investigate the impact of preterm birth on the proportion of NDD using nationwide data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. We included 4894 extremely preterm or extremely low-birth-weight (EP/ELBW; <28 weeks of gestation or birth weight < 1000 g) infants, 70,583 other preterm or low-birth-weight (OP/LBW; 28−36 weeks of gestation or birth weight < 2500 g) infants, and 264,057 full-
Research Areas
Dive deeper into Hyeon-Ju Lee's research on Nubint
Open this lab's papers in the app to read with AI, summarize, and cite in your writing.