image: Participants of Symposium are taking a group photo for memorial
Credit: KU Medicine
MRC of Korea University’s College of Medicine Held an International Symposium with Harvard University’s BIDMC
On February 25th, the Myokine Research Center (MRC), Korea University’s College of Medicine, jointly held the “International Symposium of MRC 2025” with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Harvard University, in lecture room 2, 6th floor, 1st medical building. This symposium was a place to share the results of joint research between the two institutions and discuss future international joint projects. Not only the MRC researchers but also with about 100 global scholars that participated in this event.
BIDMC is one of Harvard University’s Medical School hospitals for education. It conducts global medical science researches in various fields and is evaluated as an excellent clinical and basic research institution in the US.
Starting with Professor Mark L. Zeidel’s topic of “Central Nervous System Control of Somatic Function,” a total of 8 Harvard and Korea University MRC researchers shared the latest research trends and achievements in the symposium sessions. In addition, they presented the research results on Myokine’s role in the interaction between the brain and organs, including potential clinical applications. The researchers also discussed their future research strategies in the field.
After the presentation, the researchers had an opportunity to visit the facilities of Korea University’s Anam Hospital and College of Medicine, witnessing the clinical environment, education, and research infrastructure. Additionally, they discussed ways to promote exchanges between Korea University’s College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School by a face-to-face talk with Dean Pyun Sung-Bom.
Dean Pyun said, “Through this symposium, I hope that we can establish a basis for joint research, leading to international joint research projects that we can achieve in the future. In addition to research cooperation, I also hope that Korea University’s Medical School and Harvard Medical School would actively interact in various areas, including student exchanges.”
MRC of Korea University’s College of Medicine opened in October 2023 following its selection as the “2023 Basic Medical Science Leading Research Center (MRC)” project. The center is developing control technologies that can be clinically applied to muscle-related diseases, cancer, aging, and degenerative brain diseases through integrated researches on Myokine, a new concept of hormone secreted from muscles.