Since the First Selection in 2017, Annual Scholarship Recipients Produced, This Year Selected at Record High Scale
Up to 20 Million KRW Scholarship per Year for 4 Years... Scholarship Certificate Ceremony Held on the 27th
Four graduate students from UNIST (President Yong-Hoon Lee) have been selected as scholarship recipients in the biomedical science field by the Asan Foundation for Social Welfare.
The recipients are graduate students Dohyun Kim, Subin Kim, Jieun Lee, and Heejin Jeon.
Dohyun Kim (advisor Ja-Hyung Yoo), a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, attracted attention by being selected as a scholarship recipient in the biomedical science field despite being a chemistry student. Kim is currently conducting research on removing disease cells such as cancer by utilizing the chemical property of molecular self-assembly. Kim said, “Thanks to UNIST’s double major system, my undergraduate major in life sciences has been helpful in my research,” and added, “I am also grateful to my advisor, who created the best environment, and to the members of our research lab.”
Subin Kim (advisor Ja-il Lee), a graduate student, was recognized for her research capabilities in elucidating the DNA damage repair mechanism and was selected as a scholarship recipient. Our body has several DNA repair mechanisms that autonomously repair DNA damage, and her research aims to accurately reveal these repair mechanisms using single-molecule imaging techniques. She expressed her aspiration, saying, “Since DNA damage is identified as a fundamental cause of cancer and neurological diseases, I want to contribute to the development of more diverse and effective gene therapies by elucidating precise repair mechanisms.”
Jieun Lee (advisor Jae-Ik Kim), a graduate student researching degenerative brain diseases, was also newly selected as a scholarship recipient. Lee said, “Degenerative brain diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease have become social issues in the aging era,” and added, “I will grow as an expert and conduct research that helps patients’ treatment.”
Currently, Lee is focusing her research on dopamine neurons and microglia, the brain’s immune cells. Her ultimate goal is to find new treatments for brain diseases related to the dopamine neuron system, such as Parkinson’s disease, by elucidating the correlation between these two cell types.
Heejin Jeon, a graduate student, is conducting research on developing a recombinant protein-based drug delivery system. She is creating nano proteins that target receptors overexpressed only in cancer cells. Jeon said, “This technology can reduce the side effects of anticancer treatments that attack normal cells,” and added, “Through my research, I want to contribute to establishing a system for developing patient-customized therapies effective against various cancer types.”
The scholarship certificate awarding ceremony for these students was held on the 27th at the auditorium on the first floor of the Asan Life Sciences Institute at Seoul Asan Medical Center. They will receive scholarships of up to 20 million KRW per year for up to four years.
The Asan Foundation for Social Welfare has been selecting and supporting graduate students in related fields since 2017 to nurture future talents in biomedical science. Since the first selection in 2017, UNIST has produced scholarship recipients every year. This year, four new students were selected, marking the largest scale ever and demonstrating outstanding performance in fostering excellent researchers in the biomedical science field.
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