Pohang City Opens a Forum to Establish a Global Network for Training 'Physician Scientists'!

‘2022 POSTECH Signature’ International Conference Held, Global Experts in Medical Science and Biomedical Engineering Gather

Expecting Consensus on Global Network for Training Physician-Scientists and Establishing Research-Oriented Medical Schools

A forum for establishing a global network to train physician-scientists opens in Pohang.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, together with Gyeongbuk Province and POSTECH, will hold the ‘POSTECH Signature Conference 2022’ over two days from the 11th to the 12th at the POSCO International Hall International Conference Room.

This conference, under the theme ‘Future Medical Science & Biomedical Engineering,’ was held in a hybrid format combining online and offline participation, attended by over 200 people including Mayor Kang-deok Lee, Gyeongbuk Province Deputy Governor for Economy Dal-hee Lee, Food and Drug Safety Minister Yu-kyung Oh, POSTECH President Muhwan Kim, and leading domestic and international scholars in the fields of medical science and biomedical engineering.

This event was the first conference organized by POSTECH, which is actively promoting the training of ‘Korean physician-scientists’ conducting convergence research in science, engineering, and medicine. It invited world-renowned experts in regenerative medicine, new drug development, and predictive medicine?areas where POSTECH has strengths?to discuss future directions for the development of innovative medical technologies based on engineering.

At the conference, the plenary session began with a lecture by Wayne M. YOKOYAMA, Associate Dean of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA, on the topic ‘Control of Viral Infection by Natural Killer Cell Inhibitory Receptors.’ Following this, Professor Zhenan Bao from Stanford University, USA, presented research on ‘Bioelectronic Devices Inspired by Human Skin,’ introducing artificial electronic skin devices based on the tactile sensing principles of actual human skin.

Professor Taek-Hwan HYUN, a distinguished professor at Seoul National University and a strong candidate for the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, gave a lecture titled ‘Synthesis and Assembly of Inorganic Nanomaterials Designed for Applications in Medicine and Healthcare.’ His presentation was highly praised by the audience for its potential contributions to developing treatments for intractable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, emphasizing efforts to become a key hub in the bio-medical industry.

Mayor Kang-deok Lee stated, “Only technological innovation through the convergence of medicine and engineering can secure leadership in the future bio-medical industry. Pohang will leverage its well-established basic research infrastructure, including the 3rd and 4th generation synchrotron radiation accelerators and the Cell Membrane Protein Research Institute, to strive to become a core hub of the bio-medical industry.”

Pohang City, together with Gyeongbuk Province and POSTECH, has been working for several years toward the shared goal of establishing a ‘POSTECH Research-Oriented Medical School.’ Through building a comprehensive cooperation system by forming consensus with government ministries, the National Assembly, and the medical community, they have achieved tangible results, including being selected as part of the ‘New Government’s 120 National Tasks’ and the ‘Presidential Transition Committee’s Policy Tasks for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Region.’