Research Interests

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• Surgical Navigation Systems

• Image-Based Digital Medical Devices

• Focused Ultrasound Therapy Devices

• Surgical Robot Automation

• Artificial Intelligence for Medical Image Analysis

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Research Experience

 Principal Researcher, Bionics Research Center, KIST, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, Mar. 2017-Present

• Lead multiple AI-medical imaging and surgical navigation projects.

 

Head, Center for Healthcare Robotics, KIST, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, Sep. 2020-Jun. 2024

• Established cross-disciplinary robotic surgery programs.

 

Head, Center for Medical Robotics, KIST, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, Apr. 2019-Aug. 2020

• Established the only medical robotics research center among government-funded research institutes in Korea.

 

Post-Doctoral Researcher, Lagadic Group, INRIA, Rennes, France, May 2010-Apr. 2011

• Conducted research on medical visual servoing technology

 

Senior Researcher, Center for Intelligence and Interaction, KIST, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, Mar. 2009-Feb. 2017

• Conducted research in computer vision

 

Researcher, Center for CAD/CAM, KIST, Seoul, Rep. of Korea, Jan. 2003-Feb. 2009

• Developed an e-catalog using virtual reality technology

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Grants – Selected (Last 5 Years)

 

• Development of an AI endoscopy solution for gastrointestinal diagnosis based on feedback from Vietnamese medical staff (PI, Global Knowledge Platform Research Project, 2025-07-01 ~ 2025-12-31, KRW 169,115,000)

• AI Digital Medical Device Development (Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Imaging Device) (PI, Inter-institutional Research Exchange Promotion Project, 2025-06-23 ~ 2025-12-23, KRW 13,200,000)

• AI ultrasound diagnosis-therapy integrated platform for non-invasive detection and precise treatment of crystalline diseases (PI, Mid-career Researcher Support Program, 2025-03-01 ~ 2026-02-28, KRW 220,171,000)

• AI, XR, and Robotics Converged Digital Surgery System Development (PI, Future Convergence Biomedical Technology Development Project, 2025-01-01 ~ 2025-12-31, KRW 1,392,970,650)

• Development of a super-microsurgery robotic system capable of autonomous human-robot collaboration for vascular anastomosis under 0.8mm (Co-Researcher, Industrial Core Technology Development Program, 2024-07-01 ~ 2026-03-31, KRW 1,041,766,751)

• Strategic Project Candidate Discovery (Co-Researcher, Creative Research Initiative, 2024-01-01 ~ 2024-06-30, KRW 76,205,180)

• AI-based medical big data diagnostic and surgical planning (Co-Researcher, Future Source Robot and Media R&D Program, 2024-01-01 ~ 2024-12-31, KRW 552,557,090)

• Extended Reality-based Human Augmentation for Surgeons (PI, Future Source Robot and Media R&D Program, 2024-01-01 ~ 2024-12-31, KRW 603,635,190)

• (Section Planning) 2023 AI/Robotics and Data Convergence Large-scale Project Planning Research (PI, Creative Research Initiative, 2023-02-01 ~ 2023-12-31, KRW 209,881,356)

• (Linking Lab) AI-based fingertip blood collection and blood cell analysis system development (Co-Researcher, In-house Research Project, 2022-05-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 560,000,000)

• 2022 Internal Labor and Indirect Cost Matching Account (Co-Researcher, Future Source Project Management, 2022-01-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 974,600,000)

• AI-based medical big data diagnostic and surgical planning technology (Co-Researcher, Future Source Robot and Media R&D Program, 2022-01-01 ~ 2023-12-31, KRW 2,340,753,545)

• AI/Robotics and Data Convergence Large-scale Project Planning Research (PI, Creative Research Initiative, 2021-04-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 185,644,940)

• Development of a cervical transforaminal 4mm epidural endoscopic surgery navigation-plus system integrating AR and AI for diagnosis/treatment (PI, AI-Biorobot Medical Convergence Technology Development Project, 2021-01-01 ~ 2023-06-30, KRW 411,144,209)

• Stereo X-ray and 3D endoscopy-guided spinal surgery robot system development (Co-Researcher, Core Robot Industry Technology Development Program, 2021-01-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 1,144,592,613)

• AI-based medical big data diagnostic and surgical planning technology (PI, Future Source Robot and Media R&D Program, 2021-01-01 ~ 2021-12-31, KRW 1,054,759,850)

• Head and neck surgical robot navigation system with sub-millimeter registration accuracy (PI, WC300 R&D Program, 2021-01-01 ~ 2021-12-31, KRW 243,322,648)

• AI-based facial skin analysis using 3D multispectral imaging for enhanced efficacy in intractable skin disease laser treatment (PI, Pan-Ministry Full-Cycle Medical Device R&D Program, 2020-09-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 1,499,376,554)

• Semi-active precision surgical robot platform based on surgical environment recognition (PI, Pan-Ministry Full-Cycle Medical Device Program (MSIT), 2020-09-01 ~ 2022-12-31, KRW 1,531,878,015)

• Real-time 3D navigation system with deformable human body modeling (Co-Researcher, Pan-Ministry Full-Cycle Medical Device Program (MSIT), 2020-09-01 ~ 2023-12-31, KRW 1,839,994,184)

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Awards

 

• Gahheon Academic Award (KRW 20 million), Korean Society for Computational Design and Engineering (CDE), 2024

• Proud AIR Award, Commendation from Director of KIST AI·Robotics Institute, 2023

• Best Paper Award, Korean Society for Computational Design and Engineering (CDE), Virtual Reality Navigation Technology for Image-Guided Vascular Catheter Intervention, 2021

• Outstanding R&D Team Award, KIST, Development of Fundamental Technology for Fluorescence-Guided Precision Surgical Robots, 2020

• Gold Prize, Maker Division, 18th CDE Competition, Korean Society for Computational Design and Engineering (CDE), 2018

• KIST R&D Team Award, 2017

• Minister’s Award (Grand Prize), Tool Division, 17th CDE Competition, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Virtual Surgical Planner for Maxillofacial Surgery, 2016

• KIST “志學” Award, 2013

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Academic activities

 

• Editorial Advisory Board Member: Journal of Computational Design and Engineering (CDE), Apr. 2017 – Present 

• Chair: Institutional Review Board (IRB), Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Apr. 2024 – Present 

• Specialist Secretary: Institutional Review Board (IRB), KIST, Apr. 2018 – Mar. 2024 

• Program Manager (PM): AI·Robotics and Data Division, KIST Research Planning Committee, Mar. 2021 – Mar. 2024 

• Organizing Chair, 2025 Korean Society for Computational Design and Engineering (CDE) Winter Conference, Mar. 2024 – Feb. 2025