Joint Research Team Including Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Selected for Cleveland Clinic's 'Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program'

Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, University of Seoul, and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced on April 15 that their joint research team has been selected as the only team from Korea to take part in the 'Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program'-an international bio-medical quantum algorithm development project jointly organized by the Cleveland Clinic in the United States and global investment firm K5 Global.

From the left in the photo: Jeong Jeongim, Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital; Yoon Jongchan, Department of Cardiology; Dr. Han Kyunglim, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST); Ando Yeol, Honorary Chair Professor, University of Seoul. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Photo by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

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This research was conducted in collaboration with domestic researchers, including Professors Jeong Jeongim and Jang Suyeon from the Department of Radiology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Professors Yoon Jongchan, Choi Young, and Seung Jaeho from the Department of Cardiology, Dr. Han Kyungrim from the Brain Science Institute at KIST, and Distinguished Chair Professor Ando Yeol (principal investigator) from the University of Seoul. The project also involved the U.S. quantum technology company Singularity Quantum and received technical support from the National Quantum Laboratory (Q-Lab) at the University of Maryland, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Finnish quantum computer company IQM.

The research team explained that the cardiovascular CT analysis capabilities of the Department of Radiology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the interventional procedure and cardiac structural clinical experience of the Department of Cardiology, and the signal processing and data analysis expertise from the Brain Science Institute at KIST have been integrated with quantum algorithm development efforts centered at the University of Seoul. This has established a truly multidisciplinary research structure that bridges basic science and clinical practice.

The Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program was launched in 2023 by the Cleveland Clinic-recognized as a global leader in cardiology-based on a 10-year joint research partnership with IBM. The program aims to develop innovative algorithms using quantum computing technologies to solve complex biomedical challenges that are difficult to address with conventional methods. Key research areas include: ▲ healthcare and life sciences ▲ digital health ▲ drug discovery and development ▲ protein structure prediction. Selected teams are granted 12 months of mentorship from Cleveland Clinic experts and exclusive access to the IBM Quantum System One, the world's first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare and life sciences research.

The research project, titled 'Quantum Algorithms for Cardiovascular CT-FFR Simulation and Tumor Microcirculation Modeling,' aims to use a new quantum-based fluid dynamics approach to replace conventional invasive tests with non-invasive CT imaging. Furthermore, the goal is to apply this technology to simulate blood flow distribution within tumor microvasculature and the pharmacokinetics of anticancer drug delivery.

Schematic of cardiac blood flow fluid dynamics simulation. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital

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Traditional Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) tests have played a crucial role in quantifying whether coronary artery stenosis actually causes myocardial ischemia. However, these procedures are invasive, requiring direct insertion of a catheter into the coronary artery, which carries risks such as bleeding, vascular injury, and arrhythmia. Although there have been ongoing efforts to replace these with CT imaging, conventional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis demands massive computational resources, limiting its real-time application in clinical settings.

The research team aims to overcome these limitations using quantum algorithms, enabling real-time, patient-specific risk analysis. At the same time, the developed 'blood flow analysis platform' is expected to be extended to microcirculation analysis within tumors, thus paving the way for a precision oncology platform.

Unlike classical computers that process states of 0 or 1 sequentially, quantum computers utilize quantum bits (qubits), which exploit superposition to process both states simultaneously, enabling overwhelming parallel computation. Applying this capability to Navier-Stokes equation-based fluid dynamics simulations allows for the high-precision, high-speed development of blood flow models that are difficult to achieve even with supercomputers.

Professor Jeong Jeongim from the Department of Radiology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, who participated in the study, said, "If a quantum-based platform that can predict FFR results in real time using only CT images is implemented, it will be possible to establish more precise cardiovascular treatment strategies without the burden of invasive procedures." Professor Yoon Jongchan from the Department of Cardiology added, "Given that blood flow modeling methodologies can be applied to analyze blood flow distribution and drug delivery pathways through tumor microvasculature, we expect that this will create new clinical value not only in the cardiovascular field but also in precision oncology."

Meanwhile, this achievement is also noteworthy as it follows the team's selection for a quantum computing challenge organized by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences under the U.S. National Institutes of Health in June 2025, with a total prize fund of 1.3 million dollars. At that time, the Seoul St. Mary's Hospital-University of Seoul joint research team was also the only team selected from Korea. With the Korea Institute of Science and Technology joining the program this time, Korea's global standing in quantum medical research has been further elevated.

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