Yonsei University Professor Kim Dong-wook Wins the KY Cha Academic Award; Parkinson's Stem Cell Clinical Achievements Draw Attention

[Financial News] As stem cell research moves into the clinical stage with real patients, Kim Dong-wook, a professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine who has led the development of a human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), has received the KY Cha Academic Award.
According to the Korean Society for Stem Cell Research on the 25th, Kim was selected as the recipient of the KY Cha Academic Award at the "KSSCR 2026 Annual Meeting" held on the 20th and 21st at the Swiss Grand Hotel Seoul.
Kim has studied everything from identifying the mechanisms behind intractable diseases to gene editing and cell therapy development using human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In particular, he verified the treatment effects and safety of a stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease in the preclinical stage, and later conducted clinical research to evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of an hESC-based cell therapy in patients. The award recognizes his success in connecting stem cell therapy technology, long confined to basic research, to actual clinical use.
The KY Cha Academic Award was established last year to honor Cha Kwang-yul, head of the Global Research Institute at CHA Medical Center and CHA Bio Group, for his research and philanthropic activities. It focuses on identifying researchers who have achieved results in stem cell and regenerative medicine and supporting the next generation of scientists.
Cha has expanded his research from reproductive medicine, beginning with the development of egg freezing methods and the establishment of an Egg Bank, to stem cell and regenerative medicine. Academic awards and researcher support programs bearing his name are now being run by major domestic and international societies, including ASRM.
More recently, he has been giving lectures at home and abroad on the themes of "K-Cell" and "Longevity" using rejuvenation stem cells, focusing on extending stem cell and regenerative medicine technologies into the field of healthy lifespan extension.
An industry official said, "The competitive axis of the stem cell industry is shifting from securing core technologies to proving their practical clinical applicability," adding, "Building both clinical achievements and an ecosystem that nurtures researchers will be key to securing global competitiveness."
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