News & Events
News & Events
Dr. Sung Key Jang`s Appointment as CEO: A Pivotal Milestone in Elevating Institut Pasteur Korea to World-Class Excellence in Infectious Disease Research
2024-02-01
Dr. Sung Key Jang's Appointment as CEO:
A Pivotal Milestone in Elevating Institut Pasteur Korea
to World-Class Excellence in Infectious Disease Research
- A distinguished scholar leading breakthroughs in life science research
and bio-industry advancements -
- Emphasizing priority on new drug development projects, expanding vaccine and diagnostic R&D,
and reinforcing domestic and international collaborations -
A Pivotal Milestone in Elevating Institut Pasteur Korea
to World-Class Excellence in Infectious Disease Research
- A distinguished scholar leading breakthroughs in life science research
and bio-industry advancements -
- Emphasizing priority on new drug development projects, expanding vaccine and diagnostic R&D,
and reinforcing domestic and international collaborations -
Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) formally announces the appointment of Dr. Sung Key Jang, a distinguished professor from the Department of Life Sciences at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), as its new CEO, commencing February 1st, 2024.
With a wealth of over three decades of academic expertise, Dr. Jang has achieved significant milestones in fundamental life science research and the advancement of technologies for infectious diseases. Simultaneously, his dedicated efforts in mentoring young scientists and contributions to establishing cutting-edge platforms and infrastructure have made substantial impacts on both regional and national biotechnology ecosystems.
Dr. Jang has made significant contributions to research on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the mRNA translation mechanism. Moreover, he has translated his HCV-related findings into drug discovery research and played a role in diagnostics R&D, notably contributing to the development of diagnostic methods for COVID-19 using aptamer technology.
During his eight-year tenure as the Director of the POSTECH Biotech Center, Dr. Jang led the establishment of drug discovery projects, leveraging cutting-edge structure-based drug development technologies. Moreover, he played a pivotal role in founding the Bio Open Innovation Center, actively fostering a dynamic bio-ecosystem that connects industry, academia, and research institutions.
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Dr. Jang obtained his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees from the Department of Zoology, Seoul National University. He went on to achieve his Ph.D. at the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he later served as a Postdoctoral Fellow.
Dr. Jang initiated his academic career at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in 1991, starting as an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences and advancing to subsequent roles as both assistant and full professor. His diverse career path includes being Chief Advisor of Bio-Industry for the city of Pohang, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), and Technical Advisor at Aptamer Sciences Inc. Additionally, his active engagement in the Korean Academy of Science and Technology dates back to 2018.
Notably, Dr. Jang played a crucial role as a member of the IPK’s Scientific Advisory Committee for over five years, starting in 2014. Throughout this period, he provided invaluable guidance on research and technology, with a particular emphasis on drug development.
In his role as the newly appointed CEO of IPK, Dr. Jang articulated his vision, "My primary focus is to speed up drug discovery, strengthen vaccine and diagnostic R&D capabilities, and cultivate domestic and international research collaborations. The ultimate goal is to establish IPK as a world-class infectious disease research institution."