Jong-Ik Hwang is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine - Korea University . Before joining KUMC in 2006, Professor Hwang worked at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in the USA as a research associate studying GPCR signal transduction and RNA interference. In 2008, he started to publish papers on NF-kB activation mechanisms based on molecular interaction and since then, he has heavily focused on this subject and try to delineate the roles of NF-kB signaling in cancer progression. Recently, he is interested in chemokine receptor signaling in the immune system and cancer cell behavior. To define signaling pathways stimulated by the receptors, his lab developed new PPI (protein-protein interaction)-based assay systems including intracellular Ca2+ generation.

Now, using PPI-based assay, his lab tries to find some drug candidates in immune system regulation by targeting interleukins, and rare genetic diseases such as Gaucher and Emphysema. These works are supported by AI (artificial intelligence) -based virtual screening with protein structure. The lab has been maintaining a couple of master course students and a similar number of Ph.D. students for years, and now is leading the nation for leading-edge research on GPCR and signal transduction, and expand his research territory to Drug development.

Professor Hwang maintains a strong commitment to professional leadership and service. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and management of the Laboratory Animal Research Center (LARC) at KUMC, where he currently serves as the Director. His extensive collaborations with medical doctors and fellow faculty members have significantly advanced the quality of bio-medical research, leading to numerous publications in high-impact, world-renowned journals. Furthermore, he previously served as the Vice Dean of Research, providing strategic administrative leadership and support for the faculty at KUMC.