Global leader of the research on DNA damage recovery and carcinogenic genetic disease
Established the basis of Korea’s bioscience research and bioindustry development
Contributed to the establishment and development of national science and technology policies as a leader in the science area
Professor Sang-Dai Park (1937~ )
Honorary Professor, Seoul National University
- Academic background
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1956~1960
B.S., College of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences, Seoul National University
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1960~1962
M.S., Dept. of Zoology, Graduate School, Seoul National University
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1970~1974
Ph.D. in Science, Dept. of Biology, St. John’s University
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1974~1976
Post-doc Research Fellow, University of California in San Francisco
- Professional career
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1967~2002
Professor, Seoul National University
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2002~
Member, Vice President, Honorary Member of National Academy of Sciences
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2002~
President, Advisor, Chief Advisor of Korean Association of Sponsors for International Vaccine Institute
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2003~2006
Chairman, Korea Research Council of Fundamental Sciences
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2011~2014
President, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies
- Award
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1987
First Korea Science Award
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2002
Order of Service Merit Green Stripes
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2014
Order of Science and Technology, Changjo Medal
Professor Sang-Dai Park led the research and education of Korean molecular biology and genetic engineering. He also led the establishment of related society and academic journal to contribute to the globalization of Korean bioscience, making him a pioneering molecular cell biologist.
He finished his undergraduate and master’s course at the Dept. of Zoology, College of Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences, Seoul National University. In 1974, he received Ph.D. in Science at the Dept. of Biology, St. John’s University. Then he studied about the interrelations among injury induction, cloning and recovery of DNA as post-doc research fellow at UCSF Bioscience Institute. He served as professor of the Dept. of Zoology, Dept. of Molecular Biology, and Faculty of Biosciences of Seoul National University from 1967 when he became a full-time lecturer, until 2002. He contributed greatly to Korean molecular biology research, focusing on excellent research concerning the basis of carcinogenic genetic disease’s molecular cell biology, and also contributing to enhancing public awareness of bioscience.
As a world renowned researcher on DNA damage recovery area, he focused on the basic research in molecular biology about the cancer-causing mechanism caused by dielectric instability. For this purpose, he cloned a variety of DNAs and separated out damage recovery-related genes, and then, identified their characteristics. In 1960s, he reported on heterochromatin, abnormality of chromosome and abnormality of DNA synthesis from congenital abnormality diseases, and published on the sensitivity to radiation and aspect of DNA synthesis by cancer cell chromosomes. It was the first such research in the world.
From 1974, when he returned from USA and until early 1980s, he conducted research on suppression of cloning, recovery, and recovery from removal by ultraviolet rays as per the materials of skin cancer cell lines. After mid-1980s, he cloned over 20 kinds of DNAs and separated their recovery-related genes and discovered their characteristics. He made a critical discovery of the structure of recombination recovery-related gens, Rhp51+ and its mechanism of expression adjustment. After 2000s, he proceeded with a task to discover adjustment mechanism of induced expression genes according to cell signals and interrelations of gene expression and the silencing of heterochromatin which works as a platform for various biological phenomenon. Such research results were published as 205 papers, and 15 books, while he also made a great educational achievements that produced excellent new researchers for the Korean molecular biology through his guidance of 122 masters and doctoral course students.
Professor Sang-Dai Park did not just stay inside the lab but actively introduced the technology of gene recombination to the media. Especially, he presented the discussions which are much ahead of the times, such as laboratory safety and research ethics. In 1980s, worked as the initiator of the genetic engineering boom in Korea via symposiums on genetic engineering and the Korea Academic Association of Genetic Engineering. Especially, he led Seoul National University’s genetic engineering researches, taking up the first President position of the Seoul National University Genetic Engineering Institute in 1985. He also served as the chairman of the evaluation committee on genetic engineering of the Ministry of Education functioning as the designer of the Korean genetic engineering research supports.
In 1989, he established the Korea Molecular Biology Society that comprises experts in medicine, agriculture & fishery, and other scientific fields for the first time in Korea and tried to make a qualitative advancement in the quality of research in molecular biology. The Korean Molecular & Cell Biology Society has developed into a platform for international research exchange, which is worthy the name, with 15,000 members including foreigners. He established Molecules and Cells, the first SCI registered journal in the area of biosciences in Korea. He also served as the first head of editors and greatly contributed to the globalization of Korean bioscience research.
Professor Park actively participated in the development and implementation of science and technology policies and the enhancement of rights and interest of science and technology personnel working for the reestablishment of science and technology-related government organizations and the activation of regional associations of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, serving as the President of the Federation and Vice Chairman of the National Science and Technology Advisory Committee. In addition, he took up important academic positions such as Chairman of the Basic Technology Research Association and the Korean National Academy of Sciences, while he continuously worked as a leader in the area of science and technology. Especially, he actively involved in the inducing process and establishment of the International Vaccine Institute, the first UN agency established in Korea and he took up the role as president of the Korean Sponsors Association to support the stable growth of the institute.
As a result of those efforts, he received the President Award in the area of bioscience of the First Korea Science Award in 1987, the National Academy of Sciences Award in 1998, and the National Academy of Science and Technology Award in 2007. He also received the Order of Service Merit Green Stripes in 2002 and Order of Science and Technology, Changjo Medal in 2014. As the first generation representative researcher of the Korean molecular biology, he is a pioneer scientist who gave birth of the Korean bioscience.
