The Asan Social Welfare Foundation announced on the 21st that it has selected Carl Daisaros (53), a professor in the Department of Bioengineering, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the United States, as the recipient of the 18th Asan Medical Award in the institutional sector of basic medicine, and Ahn Myung-joo (63), a professor in the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, in the institutional sector of clinical medicine.
In the institutional sector for young physicians awarded to medical scientists under the age of 45, Park Yong-geun (44), a professor in the Department of Physics at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Choi Hong-yoon (38), a professor in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, were selected.
The 18th Asan Medical Award ceremony will be held on March 18th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. A total prize of 770 million won will be awarded to the four recipients. Professor Carl Daisaros, the basic medicine award winner, will receive $250,000 (about 370 million won), while Professor Ahn Myung-joo, the clinical medicine award recipient, will receive 300 million won, and young physician award recipients Professors Park Yong-geun and Choi Hong-yoon will each receive 50 million won.
Professor Carl Daisaros is the founder of optogenetics, a genetic technique that uses light-responsive proteins to control cells in living tissues with light, recognized for elucidating the cellular basis of sensation, cognition, and behavior, and for clarifying the principles of consolidation between the brain and behavior.
The Asan Social Welfare Foundation noted, "Professor Daisaros has expanded the scope of optogenetics over the past 20 years, elucidating the roles and signaling pathways of neurons, and has been cited in more than 10,000 studies worldwide, bringing significant changes to research in life systems."
Professor Ahn Myung-joo, from the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, is a global authority in the fields of lung cancer and head and neck cancer. She has led clinical trials of targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve cancer treatment outcomes, and has been highly evaluated for her extensive translational research, including the development of biomarkers to predict treatment efficacy. Last year, Professor Ahn received Korea's first "Women's Oncology Award" at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).
Professor Park Yong-geun from KAIST has been recognized for developing the core technology of "holotomography," which allows for high-resolution three-dimensional measurements and analysis of cells and tissues without staining, contributing significantly to advancements in the field of bioimaging.
Professor Choi Hong-yoon from Seoul National University Hospital has conducted research that integrates various fields by analyzing molecular imaging and spatial transcriptomics data in nuclear medicine using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, thereby presenting new directions for medical diagnosis and treatment.