NEUROSCIENCE HISTORY | SOUTH KOREA

Neurological disease is characterized by its complex level of pathology. Identification of new pathologies and development of therapeutic targets and new therapies in the area of neurological diseases are made possible through systematic and comprehensive understanding at the anatomical, physiological and biochemical levels. Therefore while looking at the history of neuroscience - South Korea the authors found that the interest began in the 17th century.

According to an article published by the International Society of Neurochemistry, the Korean government put neuroscience research as a national priority in the 17th century. Since then there have been many Korean postdocs and students majorly involved in neuroscience work. Therefore after going through any articles and the history of various popular institutes that neuroscience is one of the major fields of research in the country. Currently, the main universities and institutes that deal with neuroscience and behaviour are the Seoul National University-Seoul City, Korea University-Seoul City, Yonsei University- Seoul City, Korea Brain Research Institute-Daegu City, and Korea Institute of Science and Technology-Seoul City. Researchers and students have engaged in broad aspects of neuroscience, from basic to clinical studies to understanding brain diseases, and for developing novel therapeutic technologies. The collaboration among Korean scholars is well-established, and up on all the hard work, they still feel that they need to work harder to understand neuropathology and predict future health. The current research trend is more inclined toward linking artificial intelligence and the brain. Koreans are currently interested in acquiring skills to develop, translate and commercialize their research findings.

Perseverance and tenacity are the driving factors of Korean researchers’ ambitions. They consistently acquire new technologies in their work, evident from their productive research outcomes.

Korea Brain Initiative

The Korean Brain Initiative (KBI) focuses on basic studies to decipher the mechanisms underlying decision making, clinical studies on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), and the development of novel neurotechnologies to apply to basic and clinical studies. KBI is led by three research entities, including the Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), the Brain Science Institute (BSI) of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), and the neuro-tools development group comprised of many individual scientists from several universities.

KBI aims to construct maps of the brain at multiple scales based on the structural and functional network in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and basal ganglia. Nano and meso-scaled mapping and single-cell transcriptome analysis will be adapted for multiple scales and integrated to create a more detailed and sophisticated brain connectome. This project also utilizes the mouse model and will be extended to human brains at the last stage of the project. Clinical studies of neurodegenerative disease within the initiative aim to understand the progression of neurological disorders based on functional mapping using fMRI and deep brain stimulation. In addition to brain mapping, the development of neuro-tools for multiscale brain mapping will include innovations in the brain-machine interface (BMI) and neural devices combined with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

LET US LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF DIFFERENT INSTITUTES

Neuroscience Research Institute

The Neuroscience Research Institute was established in 1988 by Director Yoo-Hun Suh, Planning Commissioner Sang-Jeong Kim, Jun Kim, Sung Joong Lee, Ki Joong Kim, Kwang Woo Lee, Byung Woo Yoon, Bum Seok Jeon, Jae Kyu Roh. Kyung-min Lee, Man-ho Kim, Kyu-chang Wang, Byung-kyu Cho, Dong-gyu Kim, Hyun-jip Kim, Chun-ki Chung, Yong-sik Kim, Hye-sun Kim, Sa Sun Cho, Jung-ik Cha, Won-kyung Ho, Seok-ho Lee, Sang-jung Kim, Ki-young Cho, Seong-hye Park, In-hee Mook, Yong-seung Hwang, Seok-bae Oh, Mi-Sook Chang, Se-young Choi, and Seung-bok Lee. The first project of the Institute was the "Neural Tissue Cell Culture Workshop” (November 21-26, 1988), which invited Professors Seung-Up Kim (Canada) and Yoo-Hun Suh, to contribute to the introduction of neuronal cell culture techniques in Korea.

The Institute held the International Symposium for PET on November 11, 1989, with the world's leading PET experts at Hilton Hotel in Seoul, playing a leading role in the introduction and development of PET in Korea (Annals of Seoul National University College of Medicine, 1989). In preparation for the ageing society in the future, the Institute also held the first symposium on neurological ageing diseases, “Nervous system ageing disease symposium; Etiology and pharmacology” with Professors Suh Yoo-Hun and Chang Hye Won (University of Columbia) as invited speakers. For the development of neuroscience in Korea, the Korean Neuroscience Society was founded at the Shilla Hotel by the professors at the Institute, such as Chanwoong Park, Gilsoo Choi, and Yooheon Seo on November 16, 1992.

From then on, the International Neuroscience Seoul Symposium was held every year to lay a solid foundation for the development of neuroscience in Korea. In 1993, the first international workshop on transgenic animal manufacturing in Korea was held in cooperation with the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), with 30 young scientists from five Asia-Pacific countries participating in human disease research. The workshop made an opportunity to introduce transgenic mouse models used in human disease research in Korea.

The “Molecular Neurobiology Technique Workshop” was held on July 4-9, 1994, leading to the active utilization of molecular biology techniques in brain research in Korea. The Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry (APSN) and the Federation of Asian-Oceanian Neuroscience Societies (FAONS) were successfully organized in 1998 and 2002, respectively, under the chairmanship of Professor Yoo-Hun Suh. The Korean Brain Society was founded in February 10, 1998, and Professor Yoo-Hun Suh was elected as the first chairman. The historic brain research promotion law (Yoo-Hun Suh and Ho-Sun Jung as Chairpersons) was enacted for the first time in the world in May, where the Institute played a major role in its enactment and becomes the central research institute for the development of brain research in Korea.

The Institute also played a central role to establish the Korean Society for Degenerative Neuropathy (Suh Yoo-Hun as Chairperson and Kwang-Woo Lee as Vice-Chairperson) on April 14, 2007, reconfirming that the Institute is a leading research institute in Korea. Since 2002, the Institute has also held the Brain Awareness Week event every year to remind the public of the importance of the brain.

From 2010 to 2014, Professor Byung-Woo Yoon (Neuroscience) served as the director of the Institute and was succeeded by Professor Sang-Jeong Kim(physiology) in 2014.

The Institute publishes more than 10 SCI papers and holds seminars in neuroscience every year to contribute to the development of neuroscience in Korea.

Korea Brain Research Institute

1998. 06 Enactment of Brain Research Promotion Act (Article 17: Establishment of Research Institute)

2007. 11 Conducting preliminary feasibility survey on the establishment of a brain research institute

2007. 12 Formation of the task force to establish KBRI

2009. 09 Confirmation of plans for the establishment of KBRI (Working Committee for Brain Research)

2011. 06 Final designation of area for construction of KBRI (Daegu)

2011. 12 Establishment of KBRI

2012. 07 Appointment of the first KBRI President (Professor Seo Yu-Heon, Seoul National University College of Medicine)

2013. 02 Ground-breaking ceremony for KBRI

2014. 12 Completion of construction of KBRI

2015. 07 Appointment of second KBRI President (Distinguished Professor Kyungjin Kim, DGIST)

The study of the mind and brain is the last frontier in science. By accelerating brain research, we hope to envision a comprehensive understanding of human behaviour, open the road to treatments that can prevent and cure brain diseases, and develop innovative approaches and strategies to cope with a rapidly ageing society. Since 2013, many countries have launched large long-term research projects with the goal of revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain and uncovering the mysteries of neurological disorders. Along with this global trend, the government of Korea has developed a bold and ambitious plan for advancing brain science and for stimulating science-industry interaction under its administrative agenda “creative economy.”

The Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (MSIP) formed a working group of the advisory committee, composed of experts from academia, research institutes, and businesses, to develop a 10-year plan to revolutionize brain science. With their commitment, in-depth research on scientific policies and trends in neuroscience was performed, and the government of Korea announced the “Korea Brain Initiative” on 30th May 2016. The grand plan features the development of neurotechnology and reinforcement of the neuroscience ecosystem with a vision to advance brain science by enhancing local, national, and global networks.

The Korea Brain Initiative includes an expected role of brain science to drive the fourth industrial revolution, and aims at understanding the principles of high brain function, producing a new dynamic picture of healthy and diseased brains, developing personalized treatment for mental and neurological disorders by extrapolating the concept of precision medicine and stimulating the interaction between scientific institutes, academia and industry.

In pursuing goals of developing innovative neurotechnology as well as advancing the brain research ecosystem, a dual track strategy is employed where the ecosystem functions to bridge the gap between basic and applied research. Each strategy holds four specific tasks as follows:

Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) is the premier multidisciplinary research institute in Korea, and its aim is to create a better future by improving the quality of life for everyone.

KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. The history of KIST is the history of Korean development in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the Korean War. In 1960, when Korea embarked on its national development plan and laid the foundation for a new research institute, it was one of the poorest countries in the world. Now, it boasts the world's 11th biggest economy thanks to its advancements in the field of science and technology.

As a result of focusing on frontier and global-agenda research by concentrating on large-scale, long-term, interdisciplinary R&D projects to increase Korea's R&D capacities in the field of S&T and to nurture promising young talent, in March 2017, KIST was ranked by Reuters as the world's 6th most innovative research institution for the second year in a row. Because KIST was founded with assistance from foreign aid, KIST feels it is time to return the favour by disseminating the KIST model of science-based official development assistance (ODA) in hopes of giving back to the global community.

Change begins with education. KIST offers several unique graduate-level programs to help students, both domestic and foreign, gain the knowledge and practical research experience that will equip them for success as scientists and engineers in specialized S&T fields. Students at KIST School are carefully selected for participation in R&D projects at KIST's research centres—projects that closely correspond with the student's respective fields of study. By allowing students to immerse themselves in S&T research under the close supervision of their advisors, KIST is fostering a new generation of S&T leaders capable of creating a brighter future.

Korea Brain Science Research Institute

The Korea Brain Science Research Institute contributes to the enhancement of national competitiveness and the advancement of human civilization by developing and distributing methods to awaken the potential of the human brain through research on the working principle of brain and human functions, and by developing core technologies for the future industrial revolution. was established for the purpose of:

As a foundation registered with the Ministry of Science and ICT, this research institute focuses on the practical use and development of the brain based on fundamental research on the human brain. In December 1990, it was established as the Korean Institute of Human Body Science, and in August 2002, it was renamed as the Korea Institute of Brain Science. In 2005, he founded the International Brain HSP Olympiad by publishing <Brain>, a specialized magazine for brain utilization. In July 2007, the United Nations Economic and Social Council obtained UN consultative status and opened a liaison office in New York, USA.

Korea Institute of Brain Science (KIBS)

The Korea Institute of Brain Science (KIBS) was established to contribute to the improvement of national competitiveness and the advancement of human civilization by developing the core technologies of the future industrial revolution. We are developing and disseminating ways to awaken the potential of the human brain through research on the working principles of brain and human body function.

The KIBS is a foundation registered with the Ministry of Science and ICT (Information and Communications Technology). Based on the fundamental research of the human brain, we focus on the field of practical use and development of the brain. It was established as the Korea Institute of Human Science in December 1990 and renamed as the KIBS in August 2002. We established the international brain Health Smile Peace (HSP) olympiad in 2005 and published a brain education journal ‘Brain’. Having been granted the United Nations Consultative Status by the Economic and Social Council for its achievement of the field and contribution to the world society in 2007, the KIBS United Nations office was opened in New York.