DGIST professor recognized for validating key schizophrenia research model

Hyun Jeong-ho, a professor in the Department of Brain Sciences at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), has been named to the Biological Research Information Center's "Koreans Who Illuminate Korea" (Hanbitsa) program in recognition of research validating a preclinical animal model considered central to the development of schizophrenia treatments.

Hyun's research team, working jointly with Lee Tae-young, a professor of psychiatry at Kyungpook National University Hospital, and visiting research professor Eom Gi-sang, conducted a systematic review synthesizing existing findings on the "gestational MAM model," which is widely used in schizophrenia research. The findings were published in Biological Psychiatry, an international psychiatry journal.

The Hanbitsa program recognizes domestic researchers who have published in world-class journals with an impact factor of 10 or higher, or those ranked in the top 3 percent of their field. It is considered one of the leading indicators of the international research standing and competitiveness of Korean scientists.

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder whose causes have not been clearly established. Preclinical animal models that can faithfully replicate the characteristics of the human disease are essential for developing effective treatments and new therapeutic technologies.

Research on schizophrenia animal models has long faced limitations in objectively verifying reproducibility and validity, as different laboratories have applied varying experimental conditions and evaluation methods.

To address this, the research team applied a systematic review methodology based on international standard guidelines to analyze previously published studies without bias.

The gestational MAM model was found to consistently reproduce abnormal development in specific brain circuits — one of the key pathophysiological features of schizophrenia.

The reliability of preclinical animal models is a critical foundation for evaluating the efficacy and safety of drug candidates and for advancing research into clinical trials. The findings are expected to inform not only future schizophrenia treatment development but also neuromodulation technologies that directly regulate brain circuits.

"This research is a case of convergence science in which DGIST and Kyungpook National University Hospital collaborated to bridge basic brain science and clinical psychiatry," Hyun said. "We will continue to devote ourselves to developing new treatment technologies."

"Overcoming complex psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia requires close collaboration between basic and clinical research," Lee said. "I hope this study serves as a foundation for developing breakthrough treatment technologies that can be translated to actual clinical settings."