Gender: Man
Nationality: Republic of Korea
Academy Affiliation: The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST)
Academy Country: Republic of Korea
Field: Inflammation and cancer, Cancer chemoprevention, Tumor microenvironment

NOMINATED FOR: Capacity Building Committee;
TERM: First-time candidate

DESCRIPTION OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMY'S ACTIVITIES OR IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:
Prof. Young-Joon Surh, a renowned cancer biologist and Professor at Seoul National University, has played a central role in international science engagement through his leadership within KAST and AASSA. As Director of the Medical Sciences Division at the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) since 2022, he has represented the academy in multiple international settings. Notably, he delivered a keynote at the 2024 ASM-KAST Bilateral Symposium and served as lead organizer of the international symposium on the redox signaling in human diseases. He frequently supports academic diplomacy by advising on visits from global partner academies in the medical sciences.
Prof. Surh will further contribute internationally as a newly appointed member of AASSA’s Sustainability Special Committee (2025–), building on his strong record of cross-border collaboration and leadership.
With a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and postdoctoral training at MIT, Prof. Surh previously held a faculty position at Yale School of Medicine before joining Seoul National University in 1996. His research focuses on redox biology and cancer chemoprevention, with over 400 peer-reviewed publications and 29,000 citations (H-index: 87). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cancer Prevention and on editorial boards of numerous international journals. His global recognition includes awards from Rutgers University, the American Society for Nutrition, and the President of South Korea.

EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES IN AN IAP, NATIONAL ACADEMY OR OTHER SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY:

• (2022-2025) Director of Medical Sciences Division, KAST
• (2025-) Member, Sustainability Special Committee, AASSA