Kwangdong Pharmaceutical Presents 15th Kwangdong Cancer Research Awards... Five Honorees in Three Categories

Jungmin Han Recognized in Basic Medicine

Kwangil Kim, Hongjae Jeon, and Chan Kim Honored in Clinical Medicine

Jinkyeong Oh Receives Award for Multiple Publications

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical announced on the 29th that, together with the Korean Cancer Association, it presented the 15th Kwangdong Cancer Research Award to researchers who have contributed to the advancement of cancer research in Korea.

This year, a total of five researchers were honored across three categories: basic medicine, clinical medicine, and multiple publications. The recipients were Jungmin Han (Professor at Yonsei University College of Pharmacy), Kwangil Kim (Professor of Pathology at Bundang CHA Hospital), Hongjae Jeon (Professor of Internal Medicine at Bundang CHA Hospital), Chan Kim (Professor of Internal Medicine at Yonsei University College of Medicine), and Jinkyeong Oh (Professor of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Center).

The 15th Kwangdong Cancer Academic Award Recipients. From left, Jeongmin Han, Professor at the College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University; Kwangil Kim, Professor of Pathology, Bundang CHA Hospital; Hongjae Jeon, Professor of Internal Medicine, Bundang CHA Hospital; Chan Kim, Professor of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Jinkyeong Oh, Professor at the Cancer Prevention Division, National Cancer Center. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical

The Kwangdong Cancer Research Award was jointly established in 2012 by Kwangdong Pharmaceutical and the Korean Cancer Association to support basic and clinical cancer research. Each year, it is presented to researchers who have contributed to the advancement of cancer research by publishing outstanding papers in SCIE-indexed journals both domestically and internationally.

Jungmin Han, who received the award in the basic medicine category, was recognized for discovering a new class of inhibitors that target the mitochondrial glutamine transporter (SLC1A5 variant), which is involved in the energy metabolism of cancer cells. This achievement demonstrated the potential of a therapeutic strategy that blocks glutamine dependency in cancer cells. The research was published in the international journal Nature Communications.

The clinical medicine category was awarded jointly to Kwangil Kim, Hongjae Jeon, and Chan Kim. These three researchers were recognized for their study on the concordance between liquid biopsy—analyzing circulating tumor DNA in the blood—and tumor tissue genome analysis in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. By verifying the clinical applicability of liquid biopsy, they published their findings in the authoritative hepatology journal, the Journal of Hepatology.

Jinkyeong Oh, who received the award in the multiple publications category, was highly regarded for publishing several outstanding papers in international journals over the past year. Notably, she published a study in Liver International that analyzed how changes in drinking habits after a liver cancer diagnosis affect patient mortality risk.

A representative from Kwangdong Pharmaceutical stated, "We will continue to contribute to the advancement of medical research in Korea and the promotion of public health through various academic support initiatives."

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