The 34th Wunsch Medical Awards Announce Dr. Jin-Young Jang, Professor at College of Medicine (Department of Surgery), Seoul National University, as the Winner of the Main Award
November 26, 2024 — The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences(President Jin-Woo Lee) and Boehringer Ingelheim Korea(General Manager Ana-Maria Boie) announced today that the 34th Wunsch Medical Awards named Dr. Jin-Young Jang, professor at College of Medicine (Department of Surgery), Seoul National University as the winner of the Main Award, and chose Dr. June-Young Koh, director of Inocras, and Dr. Ki-Hong Choi, coronary intervention specialist at Cardiology Department of Samsung Medical Center, as the winners of the Basic Medicine and Clinical Research categories of Young Medical Scientist Awards, respectively.
Dr. Jin-Young Jang, professor and surgical specialist at College of Medicine, Seoul National University and the honored winner of the 34th Wunsch Medical Awards, is recognized for his contribution to globally raising Korea’s profile in pancreatic cancer treatment, considering his role in setting standards for and upgrading the surgical care of pancreatic cancer and biliary tract cancer, two of the most challenging-to-treat cancers; his leadership in numerous prospective and retrospective clinical studies and translational research; and his participation in the development of global guidelines for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer and biliary tract cancer.
Dr. June-Young Koh, director of Inocras, was named as the winner of the Basic Medicine Category of Young Medical Scientist at the 34th Wunsch Medical Awards. He conducted research on the clinical responses to the combination of regorafenib and nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, and immune responses to medications, demonstrating regorafenib-nivolumab as an effective front-line treatment option for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). His research was highly regarded in that it has provided an important basis for the use of immunological biomarkers in predicting patient responses to treatment and developing personalized treatment strategies.
Dr. Ki-Hong Choi, cardiology department at Samsung Medical Center, was named as the winner of the Clinical Research Category of Young Medical Scientist for his study, which demonstrated that imaging-guided complex PCI is associated with a significantly lower risk of target vessel failure. The research was highly recognized for its finding that the use of intravascular imaging in the treatment of complex lesions can improve the overall prognosis of patients.
“I would like to extend my respect and gratitude to the award winners for their continuous efforts and outstanding achievements in their fields of research, as well as to all researchers dedicated to advancing medical science in Korea,” said Ana-Maria Boie, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim Korea. “Boehringer Ingelheim Korea remains fully committed to supporting patients with breakthrough, life-changing treatments and solutions, and to contributing to the advancement of medical science in Korea.”
Meanwhile, the Wunsch Medical Awards, which is jointly organized by the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and Boehringer Ingelheim Korea, are named after Dr. Richard Wunsch, King Gojong’s physician and the first German doctor in Korea. The Wunsch Medical Awards was launched in 1990 to promote medical science and research and further solidify the relations between Korea and Germany in medical sciences. Through objective and strict evaluation criteria, the Wunsch Medical Awards recognize outstanding researchers for their contribution to the advancement of medical science in Korea and is widely considered as one of the most prestigious medical awards.
The Main Award recognizes medical scientists, who have been engaged in medical practice or research for over 20 years, and the Young Medical Scientist Awards highlights the works of medical scientists aged 40 years or younger, who have published academically valuable and relevant papers.