Researchers

Dr. Soo Heon Kwak is a Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Seoul National University Hospital. His research focuses on uncovering the genetic heterogeneity underlying diabetes and translating these insights into precision medicine. His major research areas include diabetes precision medicine, type 1 diabetes, mitochondrial diabetes, and gestational diabetes, using multi-omics approaches—genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—to define diabetes subtypes and develop individualized diagnostic and treatment strategies. Through national research projects, including those supported by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and the AI Data-driven Digital Biotechnology Initiative, he contributes to building integrated clinical and omics data platforms for diabetes precision medicine. Internationally, he serves as an Associate Editor of Diabetes, the flagship journal of the American Diabetes Association, helping to lead global scholarly exchange in diabetes genomics and precision medicine. In recognition of these contributions, he received the Commissioner’s Award from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) in 2024 and the Shim Ho-Seop Medical Award from Seoul National University Hospital in 2025.

MMy research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of thyroid diseases and translating these discoveries into improved patient care. Through integrated multi-omics approaches—including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—our research investigates the molecular characteristics of thyroid tumors across diverse pathological entities. We also employ next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify biomarkers that improve diagnosis, prognostic stratification, and therapeutic decision-making. In particular, our work has contributed to the identification and characterization of the major molecular subtypes of thyroid cancer (BRAF-like, RAS-like, Non-BRAF–Non-RAS [NBNR], and ATC-like). By elucidating subtype-specific dedifferentiation processes and tumor microenvironment dynamics, we aim to provide new insights into the evolutionary trajectories of thyroid cancer and to identify novel therapeutic targets. In addition, our research explores the genetic and environmental determinants of thyroid diseases through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and analyses of environmental chemical exposures. My clinical research has included multicenter prospective cohort studies and randomized clinical trials designed to generate high-quality evidence for the management of thyroid diseases. These efforts include the MAeSTro study, a prospective multicenter cohort investigating the natural history of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, and its international expansion, MAeSTro-EXP, as well as the MASTER trial, a multicenter randomized controlled study evaluating the clinical utility of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) suppression following thyroid lobectomy in patients with low- to intermediate-risk thyroid cancer. I have also conducted clinical research aimed at optimizing the diagnosis and management of thyroid diseases through patient-centered shared decision-making. By integrating translational and clini