On the 26th, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology held the plaque unveiling ceremony for the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Microbiome-Body-Brain Physiology Research Group and the launch ceremony for its Department of Convergent Neurophysiology. Provided by Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.
On the 27th, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced that it had held the plaque unveiling ceremony for the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Microbiome-Body-Brain Physiology Research Group together with the launch ceremony of the GIST Department of Convergent Neurophysiology.
The event, held on the afternoon of the previous day at GIST Oryong Hall, served both to officially announce to internal and external stakeholders the launch of the new IBS campus research group that will lead next-generation convergent neurophysiology research, and to declare the start of a system for training specialized talent based on this initiative.
By establishing the Department of Convergent Neurophysiology within the College of Life Science and Medical Convergence in connection with hosting the research group, GIST has built a virtuous cycle in which basic research outcomes are translated into education and talent development.
About 100 participants attended the event, including IBS Acting Vice President Chae Soonki; Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI) President Suh Pangil; GIST President Lim Kicheol; Vice President for Research Kim Yongcheol; Department of Convergent Neurophysiology Chair Park Jiyong; Professor Noh Doyoung of the Department of Physics and Photon Science (former IBS President); Professor Kim Yoosu of the Department of Chemistry (Director of the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience); and Professor Kim Kyungtaek of the Department of Physics and Photon Science (Director of the IBS Center for Relativistic Laser Science), along with other key officials, faculty, and students.
The IBS Microbiome-Body-Brain Physiology Research Group was officially launched on December 1 last year and is the third IBS campus research group established at GIST. Following the previously launched IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience (directed by Kim Yoosu) and IBS Center for Relativistic Laser Science (directed by Kim Kyungtaek), the expansion of research into the life sciences field has enabled GIST to build a more multi-layered basic science research portfolio.
The core objective of the research group is to elucidate the operating principles of microbiome-body-brain interactions, namely the series of processes in which the body senses nutrients, transmits this information to neural circuits, and then converts it into hormonal responses.
Based on close collaboration with the research group, the GIST Department of Convergent Neurophysiology will establish a convergent education and research system that fundamentally seeks to understand major physiological phenomena facing humanity, such as eating disorders, obesity, diabetes, and aging, and systematically clarifies the mechanisms connecting the brain and bodily organs. In particular, through a curriculum that encompasses life science, engineering, medical science, and information science, it presents a virtuous cycle in which the basic science achievements of the research group are directly linked to fostering the next generation of researchers.
President Lim Kicheol stated, "The IBS Microbiome-Body-Brain Physiology Research Group and the Department of Convergent Neurophysiology will become hubs that lead next-generation convergent research and talent development in the life sciences field," adding, "GIST will strategically nurture the bio sector, one of the nation's five key game changers, and thereby drive a paradigm shift in future brain science research."
IBS Acting Vice President Chae Soonki said, "The launch of the new research group and department will open a new horizon and provide a solid foundation for cooperation between the state and research institutions," and added, "Just as we have expanded humanity's understanding on the basis of basic science, I hope the two organizations will generate synergies that lead to a virtuous cycle of national development."
Korea Brain Research Institute President Suh Pangil remarked, "Just as AI acts as a catalyst for communication between disciplines, the mutual and complementary evolution of the brain and AI is also essential in this era," and added, "I support GIST in transcending disciplinary boundaries to integrate life science, engineering, medical science, and information science into a single platform and ushering in an era of multidisciplinary convergent science."
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