Youngsook Lee

Youngsook Lee is a Professor Emeritus at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea. Trained in plant physiology and cell biology at Seoul National University and the University of Connecticut, she completed postdoctoral research at Harvard University.

Her research has advanced our understanding of ABC transporters, plant responses to environmental stress, and the mechanisms of lipid accumulation in microalgae. Dr. Lee served as an editor of New Phytologist and held leadership roles in national science policy in Korea. Her achievements have been recognized with the Korea Science Award, the Cozzarelli Prize from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Corresponding Member Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists, and the Samsung Happiness for Tomorrow Award.  

Outside academia, she has shared joyful moments of daily life with her Shiba dog, Bokja, on her YouTube channel @ShibadogBokja, where past videos are available.

Bae Young Choi is an Assistant Professor at the Korea National University of Transportation (KNUT), South Korea. He earned his Ph.D. in plant physiology from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH, following his summa cum laude graduation from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). He completed his postdoctoral research in bioinformatics at Chungnam National University. He has been recognized with the Excellent Publication Award for graduate students from POSTECH and the Young Scientist Award from the Korean Society for Plant Biotechnology. His research focuses on decoding plant genomes and elucidating their physiological responses using systems biology approaches, integrating bioinformatics and plant science. During his leisure hours, he enjoys engaging in activities such as swimming, skiing, cycling, and playing the board game Go.