Jongpil Kim, professor of chemistry at Dongguk University, has been selected as “Scientist of the Month” for December by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Kim developed the first innovative nanobiotechnology in the world and completed in vivo neuronal reprogramming technology, thereby setting a milestone for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. Details of this accomplishment are published in Nature Nanotechnology (IF 31.5, 2017).

The article was published with Kim and a Dongguk University PhD student as the sole corresponding author and first author. It is acclaimed for having taken global research competencies in Korean regenerative medicine and advanced biomedical technology to the next level.

“This research has great academic value in that it provides a globally original technology for treating cranial nerve disorders based on in vivo reprogramming, which is the next generation in stem-cell technology,” said Kim. “Above all, commercializing this research achievement will have a considerable economic and social ripple effect throughout the field of regenerative therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.”