News & Events
News & Events
Institut Pasteur Korea Secures Three NRF Young Researcher Grants
2026-03-23
Institut Pasteur Korea Secures
Three NRF Young Researcher Grants
- Demonstrating R&D Competitiveness in Infectious Diseases, Immunology, and Antimicrobial Resistance -
Three NRF Young Researcher Grants
- Demonstrating R&D Competitiveness in Infectious Diseases, Immunology, and Antimicrobial Resistance -
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Dr. Sanghwa Kim (Advanced Biomedical Research Laboratory), Dr. Sunmin Lee (Viral Immunology Laboratory), and Dr. Connor Wood (Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory).
(Mar. 23, 2026, Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea) Institut Pasteur Korea announced on the 23rd that three projects have been selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)’s 2026 National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Young Researcher Grants.
The initiative, which aims to support promising early-career researchers in establishing stable research foundations, was awarded to Dr. Sanghwa Kim (Advanced Biomedical Research Laboratory), Dr. Sunmin Lee (Viral Immunology Laboratory), and Dr. Connor Wood (Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory).
Infectious diseases, immunology, and antimicrobial resistance remain urgent global scientific challenges. As the limitations of existing therapeutic approaches become increasingly evident, there is a growing need for more precise and innovative basic research.
The three selected researches are driven by this need and focus on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of disease and proposing new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Kim’s research addresses the widely acknowledged limitations of animal models in the drug development process. Because animal models often fail to fully replicate human physiological responses, many drug candidates do not succeed in clinical trials. To address this challenge, she aims to establish a new research platform to discover drugs for hepatitis and liver fibrosis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, achieving this by replicating a human-like 3D tissue environment in vitro. This approach is expected to facilitate the discovery of more reliable therapeutic candidates for liver diseases.
Dr. Lee’s research aims to analyze the mechanisms of ATP-purinergic receptor signaling pathways involved in immune responses induced by vaccine adjuvants, and to elucidate how these pathways regulate immune activation. Although vaccine adjuvants play a critical role in enhancing immune responses, their underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. By systematically investigating these pathways, this study seeks to contribute to the development of more effective vaccines and to explore their potential applications in inducing antitumor immunity.
Dr. Wood addresses the growing global challenge of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections and antimicrobial resistance. His research focuses on how pathogenic bacteria interact with host immune cells, particularly the mechanisms by which they undergo morphotype switching to enhance their survival. The study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these propose new strategies for tackling drug-resistant infections that are difficult to treat with existing therapies. This research is expected to provide important insights into the treatment of difficult-to-treat, persistent infectious diseases.
Dr. Sung Key Jang, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, stated, “This achievement reflects recognition of the creativity and research potential of our early-career scientists. IPK will continue to support researchers in pursuing innovative and challenging approaches to advance infectious disease research and development.”
(Mar. 23, 2026, Gyeonggi-do, Rep. of Korea) Institut Pasteur Korea announced on the 23rd that three projects have been selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)’s 2026 National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Young Researcher Grants.
The initiative, which aims to support promising early-career researchers in establishing stable research foundations, was awarded to Dr. Sanghwa Kim (Advanced Biomedical Research Laboratory), Dr. Sunmin Lee (Viral Immunology Laboratory), and Dr. Connor Wood (Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory).
Infectious diseases, immunology, and antimicrobial resistance remain urgent global scientific challenges. As the limitations of existing therapeutic approaches become increasingly evident, there is a growing need for more precise and innovative basic research.
The three selected researches are driven by this need and focus on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of disease and proposing new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Kim’s research addresses the widely acknowledged limitations of animal models in the drug development process. Because animal models often fail to fully replicate human physiological responses, many drug candidates do not succeed in clinical trials. To address this challenge, she aims to establish a new research platform to discover drugs for hepatitis and liver fibrosis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, achieving this by replicating a human-like 3D tissue environment in vitro. This approach is expected to facilitate the discovery of more reliable therapeutic candidates for liver diseases.
Dr. Lee’s research aims to analyze the mechanisms of ATP-purinergic receptor signaling pathways involved in immune responses induced by vaccine adjuvants, and to elucidate how these pathways regulate immune activation. Although vaccine adjuvants play a critical role in enhancing immune responses, their underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. By systematically investigating these pathways, this study seeks to contribute to the development of more effective vaccines and to explore their potential applications in inducing antitumor immunity.
Dr. Wood addresses the growing global challenge of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections and antimicrobial resistance. His research focuses on how pathogenic bacteria interact with host immune cells, particularly the mechanisms by which they undergo morphotype switching to enhance their survival. The study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these propose new strategies for tackling drug-resistant infections that are difficult to treat with existing therapies. This research is expected to provide important insights into the treatment of difficult-to-treat, persistent infectious diseases.
Dr. Sung Key Jang, CEO of Institut Pasteur Korea, stated, “This achievement reflects recognition of the creativity and research potential of our early-career scientists. IPK will continue to support researchers in pursuing innovative and challenging approaches to advance infectious disease research and development.”