Researchers

I am a physician-scientist whose research is grounded in pathology and focused on elucidating the pathogenetic mechanisms of pediatric rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases. My clinical expertise encompasses pediatric pathology, neuromuscular pathology, placental pathology, and cardiovascular pathology. My principal areas of research include pediatric rare diseases—such as Hirschsprung's disease (congenital megacolon), chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), and pediatric muscle disorders—as well as pediatric malignancies. In cardiovascular pathology, my work addresses congenital heart disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, aortic aneurysm, coronary artery disease, and CABG graft pathology. Methodologically, I integrate spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and multi-omics analyses, together with multiplex imaging, digital pathology, and medical artificial intelligence, into conventional histopathologic diagnosis. Through this integrative approach, I seek to quantitatively characterize cell-cell interactions and the tissue microenvironment, with the ultimate goal of predicting disease progression and patient prognosis.

My research focuses on elucidating disease pathogenesis by integrating pathological phenomena observed in patient tissues with advanced omics technologies and functional studies, based on my expertise in molecular pathology, neuropathology, and endocrine pathology. In particular, I combine single-cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics, long-read sequencing, digital pathology, and large-scale genomic data analysis to investigate pathological heterogeneity, the tumor and disease microenvironment, and cell–cell interactions in tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. My current research includes studies on anaplastic transformation in thyroid cancer, the molecular genetic characteristics of brain tumors, and the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. Based on the Seoul National University Hospital Brain Bank, I am expanding translational research using actual patient-derived brain tissues. I also establish patient tissue-derived disease models by generating iPSCs, neurons, glial cells, and brain organoids from patient-derived cells. Through these approaches, I aim to analyze cell-type-specific responses in neurodegenerative brain diseases and further develop these models into platforms for the discovery and validation of therapeutic candidates. Ultimately, my research goal is to integrate pathological diagnosis, omics analysis, and patient-derived models to uncover disease mechanisms and identify clinically applicable diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets.