KSEA – South Texas (ST)/Houston Chapter
The 2024 KSEA Western Gulf Coast Regional Conference (WGCRC) was successfully held on Saturday, December 7 at Baylor College of Medicine. The conference brought together Korean scientists, engineers, and students in the region to share their latest research achievements and strengthen professional networks.
Dr. Jae Woong Choi (Shell USA), President of KSEA-ST, opened the conference with a welcoming address, expressing gratitude and encouragement to the attendees. Following this, Consul General Youngho Jung in Houston delivered a congratulatory speech and introduced an upcoming bio forum aimed at fostering exchanges between the Texas Medical Center and Korea.
The keynote lecture, moderated by Dr. Crystal Shin (Baylor College of Medicine), was delivered by Dr. Brendan Lee (Baylor College of Medicine) under the theme “Multi-Omic Approaches in the Age of Precision Medicine.” Dr. Lee, a globally renowned expert in genomics, presented advanced technologies used in the study of genetic diseases and precision medicine.
In the afternoon, a poster session was held for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, followed by an oral presentation session where five pre-selected presenters showcased their research. Outstanding presenters were awarded certificates and prizes in recognition of their efforts.
During the invited faculty lecture session, Dr. Ju-Seog Lee (MD Anderson Cancer Center) discussed Systems Biology Approaches for Decoding Cancer Genome, Dr. Ryang Hwa Lee (Texas A&M University) spoke on Therapeutic Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, and Dr. Jian Cao (University of Houston) gave a presentation on Scalable Gaussian Process (GP) and censored GP Regression based on Vecchia Approximation.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony for the top poster and oral presentations, along with a raffle. Dr. Junghwan Kim (UTHealth) delivered the closing remarks. After the official program, attendees enjoyed a happy hour at Moonshine Deck, fostering a relaxed environment for networking and interaction.
This year’s conference served as a valuable opportunity to promote collaboration and the exchange of ideas among researchers, further strengthening the scientific and technological community in the Texas region. KSEA-ST will continue to support the advancement of Korean-American scientists and engineers through meaningful events like this.
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