International Student from China Li Xian in the College of Pharmacology was the only international student among five winners
Published in the top journal of the world for the allergy sector, <Allergies and Clinical Immunology>
Her dream is to become a professor with passion in education and research back in China
[October 30, 2014]

"At YU I learned that what is more important the reputation of a school from the outside is the passion of professors for education and research, and how much they are interested in their students."

Li Xian (28), who is currently in post-graduate school at the YU College of Pharmacology, was awarded the '20th Outstanding PhD Thesis Award' given by the Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (Chairman Kim Kyung-jin). She was the only international student to be awarded this year.

The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology is Korea's top academic society on bio-sciences with over 3,000 full time PhD members in the natural sciences, medical and pharmacology, and agro-fisheries sectors, as well as 10,000 registered members including student members, organization members, and industrial members.

Li Xian became in the first in the world to reveal that the activation of 'AMPK' (AMP-activated protein kinase), which is a sensor protein to maintain bodily energy homeostasis, suppresses allergic and inflammatory responses in her PhD thesis. The research results were published in the September 2013 issue of the world's top SCI journal <Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI): impact factor (IF) 12.05)> in the allergy sector published by the American Academy, Asthma, Immunology).

Professor Jang Hyeon-wook of the YU College of Pharmacology who instructed Dr. Li Xian said, "It has already been reported that by activating AMPK, sugar absorption and fat oxidation is promoted within the cell, it is possible to treat metabolism-related diseases such as obesity, fatty liver and high blood-sugar levels. However, Dr. Li's research is the world's first that revealed that AMPK activation can even suppress allergic and inflammation reactions."

Ms. Li Xian, who earned her PhD at YU in August, graduated from the Yanbian Medical School College of Pharmacology in China in 2009 and starting with her master's degree in September 2009, she has been studying for six years at the YU College of Pharmacology. Li decided to study in Korea while attending Yanbian University. She said, "My advisor at Yanbian University who earned his PhD at the YU College of Pharmacology highly recommended YU," and added, "The passion of the professors for education and research allowed me to concentrate in school and research without much difficulty while studying here for the past five years, and this paved the way for me to win this award."

She further added, "I am surprised to be able to win the PhD thesis award, which is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially as an international student," and added, "Once my research is complete and if I am given the chance to become a professor back at home, I want to teach students with passion just as I have learned here at YU."