Two new IBS Centers are to launch with three Chief Investigators (CI)* to pioneer new fields and focus on challenging research in the basic sciences. OUM Sang-il (professor in Dept. of Mathematical Science at Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST)), KIM Ho Min (associate professor in Graduate School of Medical Science & Engineering at KAIST), and CHA Meeyoung (associate professor in School of Computing at KAIST) are selected as leaders of independent research groups comprising IBS Pioneer Research Centers (PRC), a subset of the existing IBS HQ Centers.

* Chief Investigators are emerging researchers who are capable of organizing their own research group and carrying out challenging, creative, and independent research in basic science. CIs are required to have scientific excellence equivalent to that of a principle investigator at a globally renowned research institute or to have great potential to reach the aforementioned level in the near future.

▲ The two first IBS PRCs are Pioneering Research Center for Mathematical and Computational Sciences (comprising two research groups, Discrete Mathematics Group led by Oum Sang-il (left) and Data Science Research Group led by Cha Meeyoung (center) and Pioneering Research Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Structure (Protein Communication Group led by Kim Ho Min(right)).

In order to intensify its support to grow the next-generation leaders of scientific investigators, IBS created the new PRC research unit, which consist of up to five CIs. A CI leads their own research group, which will be supported with KRW 1 to 1.5 billion annual operation budget for five years. CIs go through the same thorough selection and evaluation process as IBS Directors. IBS will utilize the core facilities at its headquarters to support CI’s research.

The two first IBS PRCs are Pioneering Research Center for Mathematical and Computational Sciences (comprising two research groups, Discrete Mathematics Group led by Oum Sang-il and Data Science Research Group led by Cha Meeyoung) and Pioneering Research Center for Biomolecular and Cellular Structure (Protein Communication Group led by Kim Ho Min).

Oum Sang-il has attained worldwide name recognition in graph theory, a field few Korean scientists study. Graph theory has many applications in diverse areas, such as planning efficient work schedules in industrial fields and navigating shortest paths. Taking the initiative to address challenging topics in graph theory algorithms, Oum has been recognized for his outstanding leadership in the international science community. Oum’s rich experience in joint research is expected to boost collaborations not only in graph theory but also in many relevant fields. Oum says, "The Discrete Mathematics Group will produce world-leading research results to become a hub for interdisciplinary collaborations."

The Data Science Research Group led by Cha Meeyoung will study big data computation and analysis methodology. Cha is globally recognized in computational social science, being the first Asian scientist to work as a visiting professor at Facebook’s Data Science Team. Cha is also a highly cited researcher with Google Scholar noting over 11,000 citations. Computational social science, which uses computers to model, simulate, and analyze social phenomena, is considered as an important field to have a huge impact on the future of humanity. "The Data Science Research Group will develop technologies that are useful to understand reality and make predictions about the future by leveraging big data to identify regularities and correlations, as they are currently applied to fight against fake news. Our interpretable and unbiased AI research will contribute to society," Cha notes.

Kim Ho Min has made a series of breakthrough achievements in structural biology. Specialized in protein crystallography and Cryo-EM, Kim has rich experiences in organizing and operating research infrastructure. His research focuses on identifying the structure and functions of a variety of LRR proteins, which plays a key role in regulating physiological mechanisms. His Protein Communication Group is already working to determine the structural and functional characterization of disease-related biomolecules in order to understand their pathological mechanism and develop treatments. Kim explains, "By integrating four relevant research areas, (Cryo-EM, protein crystallography, protein production, and computing to determine 3D structure), our group will produce outstanding research results to determine the 3D structure of biomolecules and cells, contributing to the advancement of structural biology."

IBS President KIM Doochul notes, "It has become a clear indication that risk-taking research in a researcher’s early career lays the foundation for breakthrough discoveries." He adds, "I believe it is our role to enable these young scientists to fully devote themselves to their research. IBS will become a big supporter for CIs to become world leading scientists."

With two new IBS HQ Centers launching, 30 IBS Centers are now exploring uncharted territories.