Professor Kim Bung-nyeon of Seoul National University Hospital Elected New President of the Asian Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Seoul National University Hospital announced on the 8th that Professor Kim Bung-nyeon of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry was elected as the new president and the organizing committee chairperson for the 2025 conference at the 'Asian Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions 2023 (ASCAPAP 2023)' held in Kyoto, Japan, from the 25th to the 28th of last month.

Professor Kim's term as the new president will be two years, from June 2023 to May 2025.

The Asian Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry was established in 1996 and is a global society where psychiatrists and mental health professionals work to improve the mental health of infants, children, and adolescents in Asia, as well as to advance research and promote exchange on developmental disabilities and mental disorders.

Having held 11 international academic conferences so far, the society has selected Seoul as the host city for the 2025 conference. The society explained that this decision was made considering the achievements of South Korean child and adolescent psychiatry researchers in the past decade in areas such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), neurodevelopmental disorders, school mental health, genetics, neuroimaging, and digital artificial intelligence research, as well as their active participation on the international stage.

Professor Kim stated, "As the new president and the organizing committee chairperson for the 2025 conference to be held in South Korea, I will strive to strengthen the status of the Asian Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry globally, as well as to enhance research capabilities and volunteer activities." He added, "To this end, I plan to focus on research exchange projects on autism, ADHD, tic disorders, and Tourette syndrome with China, Taiwan, Japan, India, and Australia."

He continued, "In particular, I plan to introduce IT-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology into clinical practice and research in child and adolescent psychiatry to actively develop digital diagnostics and therapeutics and to establish an Asian research network to ensure their effective utilization."

Professor Kim currently serves as a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine, head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Seoul National University Hospital, and director of the Central Support Group for Developmental Disabilities under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He has also served as director of the Seoul Metropolitan Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center and head of the Student Mental Health Promotion Project under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Professor Kim Bung-nyeon, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital. [Photo by Seoul National University Hospital]