Sungkyunkwan University Professor Shin Mi-kyung Selected as Asian Young Scientist Fellow

[Financial News] Sungkyunkwan University announced on the 4th that Shin Mi-kyung, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the SKKU Institute for Convergence, was selected as one of 12 fellows in the chemistry and physical sciences category of the 2026 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF).
AYSF is a private academic support program that identifies and supports early-career researchers conducting creative, forward-looking research in Asia. It is open to full-time faculty members who received their doctoral degrees within the past 10 years.
Through her selection, Professor Shin will receive a total of $100,000 (approximately 130 million won) in research funding over the next two years. She will also participate in a global academic network exchange program and attend the annual academic conference to be held at The University of Hong Kong on November 9.
Professor Shin has conducted research on muscle and tissue regeneration by developing adhesive, conductive hydrogels that are soft like biological tissue, conduct electricity efficiently, and adhere to damaged areas.
Existing implantable devices are made of relatively rigid materials such as metal or rubber, limiting their ability to bond stably with human tissues that undergo frequent movement. Professor Shin has developed biomaterials that mimic the adhesive principles of organisms in nature, possess properties similar to human tissue, and can reliably transmit electrical signals.
One of her representative achievements is a multilayer electronic patch published in the international journal Nature Electronics in 2023. The patch combines self-healing polymers, liquid metal, and components inspired by the adhesive principles of mussels. It enabled the measurement of electrocardiogram signals by attaching to moving heart tissue in 0.5 seconds.
With the support from AYSF, Professor Shin plans to expand her research into treatments for the central nervous system. She plans to develop a dual-functional hydrogel filler that can be injected into the cavity left after brain tumor surgery to suppress tumor recurrence while helping brain nerve cells recover.

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter