Association of Korean Neuroscientists Research Awards:
In 1996, as an effort to recognize some of the outstanding research being done by students and postdoctoral trainees, the Association of Korean Neuroscientists created and sought out sponsors for the AKN Outstanding Research Award . The recipients have been selected based on scientific merit judged by the quality of their submitted abstract and related publications. However, scientific achievement in other areas was also considered. Listed below are recipients for the current and all previous years.

2008 Award Recipients

AKN Outstanding Research Award: Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Keun Woo Park, Ph.D.

Kyunghee University

"Interleukin-4-induced oxidative stress contributes to death of hippocampal neurons in amyloid beta treated hippocampus in vivo"

AKN Excellence in Research Award: Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Hee Jung Kim, Ph.D.

University of Minnesota

"HIV-1 proteins Tat and gp120 induce synapse loss via a process that is distinct from cell death"

Dong-Hee Choi, Ph.D.

Cornell University

"NADPH Oxidase 1, a novel molecular source of ROS in dopaminergic neuronal death"

AKN Outstanding Research Award: Student Category

Hyungbae Kwon

Harvard Medical School

"Assessing the role of kainate receptors in mossy fiber short-term plasticity"            

Kyung-Ha Lee

Pohang University of Science and Technology

“The rhythmic cap-independent translation of mPeriod1 plays a decisive role in circadian expression”

AKN Excellence in Research Award: Student Category

Yongwoo Jang

Seoul national university

“TRPM2 inhibits neurite outgrowth via LPA receptor”

2007 Award Recipients:

AKN Outstanding Research Award: Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Myoung-Goo Kang
John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore
"AMPA receptor and GEF-H1/Lfc complex regulates dendritic spine development through RhoA signaling cascade.;

Eunji Cheong
KIST
"Concomitant control of T-type and L-type Ca2+ channels in thalamocortical neurons by the mGluR1-PLCb4 cascade sets the thalamic sensory gating.;

AKN Excellence in Research Award: Postdoctoral Fellow Category

Eonyoung Park
Seoul National Univ
"Involvement of Nova-1 in the glucocorticoid regulated pre-mRNA splicing of gonadotropin-releasing hormone.;

Hyo-Jin Park
University of Florida
"Interaction of Rer1 with PEN-2 and its role in the intracellular trafficking of gamma-secretase complex.;

Sung-Phil Kim
Brown University
"Point-and-click cursor control by a person with tetraplegia using an intracortical neural interface system.;

AKN Outstanding Research Award: Student Category

Narae Shin
GIST
"Sorting nexin 9 interacts with dynamin 1 and N-WASP and coordinates synaptic vesicle endocytosis.;

Ki Hoon Han
KAIST
"Regulation of AMPA Receptor Endocytosis and Long-term Depression By RalA and Regulated Interaction of RalBP1 with PSD-95.;

AKN Excellence in Research Award: Student Category

KyungHwa Lee
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
"Genetic control of sex differences in C. elegans sensory behavior.;

Jong-Woo Sohn
Seoul National Univ
"Decrease in PIP2-channel interactions is the final common mechanism involved in PKC- and arachidonic acid-mediated inhibitions of GABAB-activated K+ current.;

Martha Havenith
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research
"Millisecond delays in neuronal spiking activity carry information as accurately as firing rates.;

2006 Award Recipients:

AKN President's Outstanding Research Award

"Critical roles of neutrophil infiltration in inflammation and dopaminergic neuron death in the substantia nigra: implications for Parkinson's disease"

"Nuclear translocation of an apCAM-associated Protein (CAMAP) is Critical for Long-Term Facilitation in Aplysia"

Jaewon Ko, Ph.D.
KAIST
PI: Eunjoon Kim

"Regulation of the differentiation of excitatory synapses by the SALM family of PSD-95-interacting cell adhesion-like molecules"

Jeong-Woo Sohn
University of Rochester
PI: D. Lee

"Retrospective and prospective coding of movement directions in the medial frontal cortex"

Mee-Ohk Kim, Ph.D.
Mass General, Harvard Medical School
PI: Jang Ho J. Cha

"Role for histone monoubiquitylation in transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington's disease"

AKN President's Excellence In Research Award

Jiyeon Jang
Seoul National University
PI: Yong-Keun Jung

"Novel genes, ADRG2 and ADRG4, isolated by cell-based functional screening increase A generation by enhancing ?-secretase activity"

Jee Yone Lee
Kyunghee University
PI: Tae Hwan Oh

"Minocycline reduces apoptosis of oligodendrocytes by inhibition of p38MAPK-dependent pro-NGF production in microglia and improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury"

Yuyoung Joo
Seoul National University
PI: Yoo-Hun Suh

"Mefenamic acid Shows Neuroprotective Effects and Improves Cognitive Impairment in in vitro and in vivo Alzheimer's Disease Models"

Man Su Kim
University of Iowa
PI: Y. M. Usachev

"Mitochondria regulates activation of the transcription factor NFAT in DRG neurons"

Sang-Ho Choi, Ph.D.
NIH
PI: Francesca Bosetti

"Deletion of cyclooxygenase-1 reduces the cerebral inflammation and oxidative stress induced by intracerebroventricular administration of lipopolysaccharide"

AKN2005 AWARDS:

AKN President's Outstanding Research Award

Kendall Lee, M.D., Ph.D.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

"High Frequency Stimulation abolishes network oscillations by astrocytic Glutamate Release."

Han Seok Ko, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

"Accumulation of the Authentic Parkin Substrate, Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase Cofactor, p38/JTV-1, Leads to Catecholaminergic Cell Death"

"Aß40 inhibits amyloid deposition and modulates premature death phenotype in vivo"

Back-Soo Han, Ph.D.
Yonsei University

"A novel mechanism to inhibit caspase activity at a point distal to cytosolic release of cytochrome c: Role of interplay among proteolytic enzymes."

Sue-Hyun Lee
Seoul National University

"PKA activated ApAF-ApC/EBP heterodimer is a key downstream effector of ApCREB and is necessary and sufficient for the consolidation of long-term facilitation"

Hangun Kim
Chonnam National University

"Presenilin-1 D257A and D385A mutants fail to cleave Notch in their endoproteolysed forms, but only Presenilin-1 D385A mutant can restore its ?-secretase activity with the compensatory" overexpression of normal C-terminal fragment

AKN President's Excellence In Research Award

Gunsoo Kim, Ph.D.
University of California in San Francisco

"Impaired refinement of GABA/glycinergic connections in the auditory brainstem of alpha9 nAChR subunit knockout mice"

Jong-Hee Lee
Pohang Institute of Technology

"Regulation of p53 and Neuron Apoptosis in response to DNA damage is mediated by activation of Cyclin-dependent kinase 5"

Sooyoung Chung
Seoul National University

"Differential Adaptive Responses to Chronic Stress of Maternally Stressed Male Mice Offspring"

SangRyong Kim
Ajou University Medical School

"Prothrombin Kringle-2 induced microglial activation produces cell death of nigral dopaminergic neurons in vivo"

AKN2004 Awards:

AKN President's Outstanding Research Award

"Generation of stable immortalized human neural stem cell lines via tetracycline-responsive oncogene activation"

"Dopaminergic regulation of anxiety and stress coping responses of mice lacking type 5 adenylyl cyclase"

"Expression of huntingtin in glial cells contributes to neuronal excitotoxicity"

Su-youne Chang, Ph.D. 
Iowa State

"Synaptic release of glutamate hyperpolarizes postsynaptic cells through the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors in the medial habenula of the epithalamus"

Jae-Ran Lee, Ph.D.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

"Autoinhibition of the kinesin motor KIF1A by an intramolecular interaction between the FHA domain and a coiled coil"

Seong-Woon Yu, Ph.D. 
Johns Hopkins University

"Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 and apoptosis-inducing factor in glutamate excitotoxicity"

AKN2003 Awards:

AKN President's Outstanding Research Award

Youngjai You
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center ,

"MAPK activation by acetylcholine in c. elegans pharynx

Sang Ryong Kim
Ajou University

"Vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (vr1) mediates cell death of mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in vivo and in vitro: role of calcium"

Sun Ja Kim
Korea University

"Mitochondrial isocitrate dehydrogenase-overexpressing SH-SY5Y cells is resistant to staurosporine-induced apoptotic cell death"

Hae Sook Noh
Gyeongsang National University ,

NO mediates anti-epileptic effect of KD: inhibition of epileptic JNK cascade

Justin Lee
Emory University

Potentiation of synaptic nmda receptors by activation of par1

Sang-soep Nahm
Texas A&M University Health Science Center

Rhythmic expression of voltage-dependent calcium channels in immortalized suprachiasmatic nucleus cells

AKN2002 Awards:

AKN President Outstanding Research Hanwha Award

. Postdoc -  Young-Hui Chang, Ph.D . of  Emory University

AKN President Outstanding Research SK Award

. Graduate Student - Yoon-Seong Kim of Cornell University

AKN Outstanding Research Award

. Graduate Student - Sang Mi Lee of Yonsei University

AKN2001 Awards

AKN President's Outstanding Research Award:

Student - Keyoung, Michael of Cornell University
"Telomerase immortalization of human neural progenitor cells"

Postdoc - Kim, Daesoo, PhD of Pohang University
"Lack of the burst mode firing of thalamocortical relay neurons and resistance to absence seizures in mice lacking the 1G subunit of T-type Ca 2+ channels"

Hanhwa Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Suh, Junghyup of Rutgus University

. Postdoc - Oh, Seoog Bae, DDS, PhD of Northwestern University

AKN2000 Awards

AKN 2000 Awards

AKN President Outstanding Research Award:

Student - Lee, Justin of Columbia University
Calcium Permeability of Kainate Receptors Switches Off in Nociceptive Neurons of Postnatal Rats

Postdoc - Han, Byung Hee, Ph.D. of Washington University
Differential Response of MAP Kinases following Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury

Hanhwa Outstanding Research Award:

Student - Lee, Hongjoo J. of Yale University
"Amygdala N-methy-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are critical in mediating the expression of Multiple Conditioned Fear Responses"

Postdoc - Chun, Hong-Sung, Ph.D. of Cornell University
"High Throughput Analysis of MPP+-and Oxidant-Induced Nigral Dopaminergic Cell Death"

AKN1999 Awards:

AKN President Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Chun, Wanjoo of University of Alabama

. Postdoc - Seo, So Young, Ph.D. of Ajou University

IWOO Scientific Co. Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Kim, Chung-Hyung of University of Tennessee

. Postdoc - Oh, Justin, Ph.D. of National Institutes of Health

. Postdoc - Kim, Sung-Hun, M.D., Ph.D. of University of Chicago

AKN1998 Awards:

Cheil Foods and Chemicals Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Kim, Karl H.S. of Cornell University

. Postdoc - Kim, U., Ph.D. of Yale University

IWOO Scientific Co. Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Chang, Mi-Sook of University of Pittsburgh

. Postdoc - Choi, Eun-Kyung, Ph.D. of Harvard University

Korean-American Scientists & Engineers Association Outstanding Research Award:

. Student - Kim, Chang-Sook of University of Arizona

. Postdoc - Park, Larry Chong Hong, Ph.D. of Cornell University

AKN1997 Awards:

Cheil Foods and Chemicals Outstanding Research Award:

        Kim, Hee-Sun, Ph.D. - University of Tennessee

        Chang, Sunghoe - University of Illinois at Chicago

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Outstanding Research Award:

        Kim, Chong-Hyun - Brandeis University

Korean-American Scientists & Engineers Association Outstanding Research Award:

        Kang, Hyejin - California Institute of Technology

        Lee, Yong Beom - University of British Columbia  

AKN1996 Awards:

Choongwae Pharma Corporation Outstanding Research Award :

        Son, Hyeon, Ph.D. - Columbia University

LG Electronic USA, Inc. Outstanding Research Award :

        Kim, Tae-Wan, Ph.D. - Harvard Medical School

        Seo, Hyemyung - University of Tennessee

AKN Outstanding Research Award:

        Lee, Ki Hyeong, M.D. - Mayo Foundation

        Oh, Yun Suk - McGill University

        Park, Joong-Jean - Boston University