Associate Director CHUNG Won-Suk of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Vascular Research and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at KAIST has been selected as a recipient of the Grand Prize in the Life Sciences category at the 20th Life Science Award.

The Life Science Award, presented by the Bioethics Committee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul, was established in 2006 to honor individuals and organizations that contribute to protecting the dignity of human life and promoting a culture of life. Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the award recognized Associate Director CHUNG for his pioneering research integrating brain immunology and neuroscience.

Associate Director CHUNG has demonstrated that astrocytes and microglia — non-neuronal cells in the brain — play critical roles in remodeling neural circuits and maintaining brain homeostasis. In particular, his work revealed that astrocytes directly eliminate unnecessary synapses even in the adult brain, expanding the traditional neuron-centered view of brain research.

He has also been recognized for showing that glial dysfunction is closely associated with the onset and progression of various neurological disorders, including epilepsy, stroke, aging-related brain dysfunction, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease, thereby suggesting new therapeutic strategies for brain diseases.

The 20th Life Science Award ceremony will be held on June 9 at the Catholic University of Korea’s School of Medicine campus.