Chulhong Kim, Ph.D.
Head of School of Convergence Science and Technology
Department Chair of Convergence IT Engineering
Program Chair of Medical Science and Engineering
Vice – Director of POSTECH-CATHOLIC BioMed Engineering
Namgo Chair Professor, Young Distinguished Professor and Mueunjae Chair Professor of Convergence IT Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,  and Medical Science and Engineering
Director of Medical Device Innovation Center
Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)
Chief Executive Officer, Opticho, Inc

ABSTRACT:
Trans-energy imaging modalities have been significantly explored to overcome existing problems in conventional imaging modalities with respect to spatial/temporal resolutions, penetration depth, signal-to-noise ratio, contrast , and so on. Among them, photoacoustic imaging, an emerging hybrid modality that can provide strong endogenous and exogenous optical absorption contrasts with high ultrasonic spatial resolution, has overcome the fundamental depth limitation while keeping the spatial resolution. The image resolution, as well as the maximum imaging depth, is scalable with ultrasonic frequency with in the reach of diffuse photons. In this presentation, the following topics will be discussed; (1) multiscale and multiparametric trans-energy imaging systems, (2) novel deep-learning powered image processing, (3) recent clinical study results in pathology, endocrinology, oncology, cardiology, dermatology, and radiology, (4) label-free ultrafast ultrasound Doppler imaging, and (5) efforts to commercialization.

BIO:

Dr. Chulhong Kim studied for his Ph.D. degree under Prof. Lihong Wang at Washington University in St. Louis. He currently holds Namgo Chair Professorship, Young Distinguished Professorship, and Mueunjae Chair Professorship of School of Convergence Science and Technology (Head), Convergence IT Engineering (Department Chair), Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Medical Science and Engineering (Program Chair) at Pohang University of Science and Technology in Republic of Korea. He is the Director of Medical Device Innovation Center supported by Ministry of Education and the Vice-Director of POSTECH-CATHOLIC BioMed Engineering. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Opticho Inc., a spinoff company to commercialize preclinical and clinical photoacoustic imaging systems. He was the recipients of the 2022 Korean Presidential Award from Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Science and Technology Award of the Month for December 2021 by the Korean Minister of Science and ICT, the LINA+50 Creative Innovation Award, the 2020-2021 IEEE EMBS Distinguished Lecturer, the 2017 IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement Award, the 2017 KAST Young Scientist Award, etc. He has published 253 peer-reviewed journal articles (Nature and Science portfolio journals, PNAS, Chemical Reviews, Radiology, IEEE Transactions, etc). His Google Scholar h-index and citations have reached 78 and over 19,900, respectively. His group’s works have been selected for the 1st positions of the USenhance and TDSC-ABUS Challenges in the 26th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI 2023), the 2022/2025 Photoacoustics Journal and TomoWave Best Paper Award and Seno Medical Best Paper Award Finalists continuously in Photons Plus Ultrasound Conference (Photonics West, SPIE), the 2020 Hitachi High-tech Best Presentation Award in High Speed Imaging and Spectroscopy Conference (Photonics West, SPIE), and the 2020 Microscopy Today Innovation Award. He has currently served as a Section Editor of Photoacoustics Journal (premier journal in the field), an Associate Editor of IEEE T. Medical Imaging and IEEE T. Biomedical Engineering, and a Topical Editor-in-Chief of IEEE ACCESS, and an Editorial Board Member of Biomedical Engineering Letters, etc. He is also elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK) and Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology (Y-KAST). He is a Fellow of the IEEE, SPIE, OPTICA, and AIMBE.