Professor Im Seok-ah, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Awarded the 33rd Bunshee Medical Award Grand Prize

Young Medical Scientist Award goes to
Professor Ho-gyu Lee, Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine
Professor Se-hoon Park, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Samsung Seoul Hospital

The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and Korea Boehringer Ingelheim announced on the 16th that the recipients of the 33rd Wunsch Medical Award are Professor Seok-Ah Im of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Seoul National University College of Medicine for the Grand Prize, Assistant Professor Ho-Kyu Lee of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine for the Young Medical Scientist Award in Basic Science, and Assistant Professor Se-Hoon Park of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Samsung Seoul Hospital for the Young Medical Scientist Award in Clinical Science.

Seok-Ah Lim, Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Seoul National University College of Medicine
Photo by Korea Boehringer Ingelheim

Professor Seok-Ah Im, selected as the Grand Prize winner, was recognized for her contributions to the advancement of breast cancer treatment and improvement of patients' quality of life both domestically and internationally through multidisciplinary research linking laboratory studies and global clinical trials to develop new targeted therapies and improve effective treatment strategies in the field of breast cancer.

Professor Im led a global clinical study that added CDK4/6 inhibitors, a targeted therapy, to ovarian function suppressants and aromatase inhibitors in premenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer, extending patients' overall survival. This study demonstrated long-term survival without the conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy that has many side effects, leading to a paradigm shift in the global standard of care and contributing to improved treatment outcomes for patients.

In particular, this research is regarded as highly significant as it achieved the first extension of overall survival in hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in 20 years. It was published in the world-renowned journal, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and has been cited as evidence in major global guidelines.

Additionally, Professor Im currently serves as the director of the Seoul National University Cancer Research Institute, contributing to the training of junior medical scientists for translational research that connects laboratory research, precision medicine, and clinical studies. Through her activities in the Korean Cancer Association, Korean Society of Medical Oncology, Korean Association for Cancer Chemotherapy, and Korean Breast Cancer Society, she represents Korea in global clinical research groups and strives to introduce new drugs and treatment methods domestically.

Professor Im said, "I am deeply honored to receive the Grand Prize of the Wunsch Medical Award, the most prestigious medical award in Korea. I sincerely thank my mentors and family who guided me to this point, and above all, the professors and research staff who participated and supported the research to achieve these meaningful and important results." She added, "I will continue to conduct research to improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients and contribute to the advancement of treatment, as well as to nurture future medical scientists."

Assistant Professor Ho-Kyu Lee, selected as the Young Medical Scientist Award winner in Basic Science, conducted research using health insurance big data from Korea and Japan, revealing that the risk of heart failure significantly increases depending on the level of blood pressure management in cancer survivors. This announcement was highly evaluated as it was the first to confirm the importance of active blood pressure management in cancer survivors through multinational East Asian medical big data in collaboration between Korean and Japanese research teams.

Assistant Professor Se-Hoon Park, selected as the Young Medical Scientist Award winner in Clinical Science, derived results showing that biomarkers using image recognition artificial intelligence (AI) technology can successfully predict the therapeutic response and prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This study confirmed that tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte measurement, which previously required significant time and labor from pathology specialists, can be measured more easily using image recognition AI technology, laying the foundation for its application in actual clinical practice, which was highly regarded.

President Ji-Tae Jung of the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences said, "I sincerely congratulate the three Wunsch Medical Award recipients who have contributed to the development of the domestic healthcare environment and improvement of patients' quality of life through excellent research achievements. We will continue to discover outstanding medical scientists in Korea through the Wunsch Medical Award, highlight their achievements, and strive to create an environment where domestic medical science can further develop." Martin Kerkhoff, President of Korea Boehringer Ingelheim, stated, "We thank the awardees recognized for their outstanding research achievements and all domestic researchers who have contributed to the advancement of medicine and healthcare in Korea. Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to continuous innovation and efforts in the healthcare field to improve and transform patients' lives, and we will continue to support domestic medical science research activities aimed at enhancing patients' quality of life."

The Wunsch Medical Award, jointly established and awarded by the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and Korea Boehringer Ingelheim, is named after Dr. Richard Wunsch, the personal physician of King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty and the first German doctor in Korea. It was established in 1990 to promote academic development in Korean medicine and to strengthen friendly relations between Korea and Germany in the medical field.

The Grand Prize is awarded to medical scientists who have worked in healthcare or research for over 20 years and have been recognized for their contributions to the development of Korean medicine. The Young Medical Scientist Award is given to medical scientists under 40 who have published excellent papers recognized for their academic value and contribution. The award ceremony for the three recipients will be held on the 27th at 2 p.m. at the Lee Kun-hee Hall of the Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.