□ DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) has announced that Jung Da-hae, a student enrolled in the combined MS/PhD program offered by the Department of Brain Sciences (academic advisor: Professor Moon Cheil), received the Young Investigator Award at the international academic conference IC-KDA & ASAD 2025, held at the Seoul Lotte Hotel World on May 8-10.
□ At this major Asia-based international conference in the field of dementia-neurodegenerative diseases, one awardee each was selected from China, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Jung was the sole recipient in South Korea.
□ Jung’s research has been recognized for facilitating the detection of early signs of Alzheimer’s disease through olfaction. Jung’s research team analyzed the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a pre-dementia stage, and confirmed that the proteins that cause dementia (namely, amyloid-beta and tau protein) had already begun to accumulate in the olfactory bulb and in the olfactory cortex, which are the areas of the brain that sense smell.
□ The researchers also observed inflammatory responses due to the activation of immune cells (microglia and astrocytes). This finding indicates that prior to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, signs of the disease are detectable in the olfactory areas of the brain.
□ Although olfaction is often weakened before dementia onset, this phenomenon has not been sufficiently investigated in the brain sciences. However, Jung has scientifically demonstrated that the olfactory system may play a key role in the initial detection of Alzheimer’s disease.
□ Jung commented: “The significance of the research lies in the potential for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and for understanding this disease through olfaction. I hope that this study will inspire further research on neurodegenerative diseases.”
□ The research was supported by the University-Based Research Center Support Project of the Ministry of Education. DGIST will continue to strengthen its global competitiveness in the field of neurodegenerative disease research while encouraging world-class convergence research and fostering innovative talent.
