Three professors from Yonsei University have been selected for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's '2026 Health and Medical Research and Development (R&D) Excellence 30.' Their research achievements in early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder using artificial intelligence (AI), cancer gene mutation analysis, and chronic rhinosinusitis have been recognized for their excellence.
Severance Hospital announced on July 20 that Professor Cheon Geun-a from the Department of Psychiatry, Professor Kim Hyung-beom from the Department of Pharmacology, and Professor Na Min-seok from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Yonsei University have been included in the 2026 Health and Medical R&D Excellence 30.
The Health and Welfare Ministry and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute established the 2026 Health and Medical R&D Excellence 30 to identify outstanding research achievements that contribute to public health and serve as a foundation for the advancement of healthcare technology. Candidates for the outstanding achievements were selected through preliminary evaluations and assessments by the Excellence Recommendation Committee, with input from relevant organizations such as the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the National Cancer Center, and the National Mental Health Center.
Professor Cheon developed a digital diagnostic support technology that uses AI to analyze behavioral videos and audio recorded at home, along with parental surveys, to screen for autism spectrum disorder at an early stage. He created a multimodal AI model that analyzes both voice and surveys, as well as an AI model that examines parent-child interaction videos, enabling the prediction of autism risk using only data collected via smartphones. Both research outcomes were published in the international journal 'npj Digital Medicine.' Through this research, Professor Cheon laid the groundwork for AI-based digital diagnostic support technology that can quickly identify high-risk groups for autism before hospital visits, facilitating early diagnosis and treatment connections.
Professor Kim conducted research on the 'mass discovery of ATM gene mutations that increase cancer risk' through a global research collaboration support project. The ATM gene is responsible for detecting damaged DNA and regulating the repair process to maintain genomic stability. Mutations in this gene can affect cancer risk and patient prognosis, but it is often challenging to assess the function of individual mutations.
The research team introduced approximately 23,000 single nucleotide mutations of the ATM gene into human cells to directly evaluate their functions. They also developed an AI deep learning model called 'DeepATM' to predict the functions of mutations that were previously difficult to interpret. The results of this research were published last year in the international journal 'Cell.'
Professor Na conducted research on 'non-invasive biomarker discovery for diagnosing chronic rhinosinusitis type 2' as part of a global physician-scientist training program. This research established a foundation for easily distinguishing types of rhinosinusitis through nasal discharge, overcoming the limitations of existing invasive testing methods. It effectively assesses the inflammatory patterns of patients before treatment begins, contributing to the realization of personalized precision medicine for chronic rhinosinusitis patients. The research findings were published last year in the journal 'Allergy.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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