Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul Nat’l Univ., Korea
M.D., College of Medicine, Seoul Nat’l Univ., Korea
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Prof., College of Medicine, Seoul Nat’l Univ.
Director, ILCHUN Genomic Medicine Inst., SNU MRC
Chairman, Macrogen Inc.
Member of The Korean Academy of Sci. and Tech.
President, Korea Bio Association
President, Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Visiting Prof., Rockefeller Univ., USA
RESEARCH INTERESTS
In 80’s, our research focus was to reveal molecular mechanism of oncogenes in signal transduction. In the following decade, we produced transgenic and knock-out mice through genetic manipulation to specifically expressing proteins related to stress management, such as HSP70 which is one of most important proteins in stress-management.
Starting from year 2000, we targeted to human genome research, and initiated the Functional Genome Project in North-East Asia (GENDISCAN Project) and conducted the project for 6 years to discover disease-related genes specifically in Asian population by targeting indigenous people in North-East Asia. As results, we found more than 90 candidate genes that are associated in developing diseases. Starting from year 2007, we outset the human whole genome analysis project and completed analysis of 2 Korean individuals, Korean male and female. The finding from Korean Male is published in Nature in August 2009. Now, we began Asian 100 Genome Project to analysis 100 individual Asians for next 3 years.