Speech at the inauguration ceremony of new director Seung-gi Jang│Photo courtesy of Institut Pasteur Korea
Jang Seung-gi, professor of life sciences at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), was inaugurated as the new director of Institut Pasteur Korea on the 1st.
The new director, Seung-gi Jang, has been in academia for more than 30 years and has achieved innovative achievements in the fields of basic research in life sciences and original technologies for responding to infectious diseases, fostering younger students, and contributing to the creation of regional and national bio ecosystems by taking the lead in building cutting-edge platforms and infrastructure.
Director Jang, a scholar in the field of life sciences, is an authority on the study of hepatitis C virus and gene translation mechanisms. He conducted research on new drug development based on the results of hepatitis C virus research, and also contributed to therapeutic and diagnostic research, such as developing a COVID-19 diagnostic method by leading aptamer technology, an antibody alternative material.
In addition, we have taken the lead in developing regional and national bio industries by pioneering the introduction of cutting-edge platforms for new drug development and infrastructure for open innovation. While working as the director of POSTECH’s Biotechnology Research Center, he innovated R&D in new drug development by building a next-generation synchrotron radiation accelerator-based platform, and established the Bio Open Innovation Center (BOIC) to create an industry-academia-research bio ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the new director, Jang, received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Department of Zoology at Seoul National University and a doctorate in molecular genetics and microbiology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he served as a postdoctoral researcher. He was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH in 1991 and served as an associate professor and full professor. He also held roles such as the top advisory committee member for Pohang City’s bio industry and CSO and technology advisor for Aptamer Science Co., Ltd. Since 2018, he has been a regular member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology.
Additionally, he has served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Institut Pasteur Korea for more than five years since 2014, providing advice in the areas of new drug development research and technology.
New Director Jang said, “We will expand Institut Pasteur Korea’s infectious disease vaccine and diagnostic R&D capabilities and advance new drug development technology to become a world-class infectious disease research institute. At the same time, we will strengthen cooperation with related organizations at home and abroad to become a leader in national infectious disease R&D.” “I will fulfill my role,” he said, expressing his ambition.