Yoon-Kyoung Cho, Dean of the College of Information and Biotechnology and Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNIST, has been officially inaugurated as President of the Chemical and Biological Microsystems Society (CBMS), marking her as the first Korean to hold this position.
Recognized globally for her leadership in micro- and nanobiotechnology, Dean Cho’s election highlights Korea’s growing influence in these advanced fields. Her appointment underscores the society’s commitment to fostering innovation at the intersection of engineering, chemistry, biology, and medicine.
CBMS is a non-profit international organization dedicated to promoting research in chemical and biological microsystems, with a focus on translating these technologies into medicine and engineering. The society hosts the renowned Micro Total Analysis Systems (MicroTAS) conference, the leading global platform for cutting-edge research in microfluidics, biosensors, and microphysiological systems (MPS).
Dean Yoon-Kyoung Cho of UNIST College of Information and Biotechnology attended the MicroTAS 2025 conference, which took place in Adelaide, Australia from November 2 to 6, 2025.
Dean Cho is internationally acclaimed for her pioneering work in lab-on-a-chip and liquid biopsy technologies. Her research on isolating and analyzing exosomes from blood has expanded possibilities for early cancer detection and personalized medicine. Exosomes are key biomolecules for diagnosing and treating diseases such as cancer and dementia, representing a cornerstone of precision healthcare.
Her achievements have been recognized through inclusion in the National Top 100 R&D Performances list three times. Notably, her development of the integrated centrifugal microfluidic platform (ExoDisc)—an efficient, lab-on-a-disc system for exosome extraction—has driven significant advances in liquid biopsy technology.
Over the past six years, Dean Cho has served as Vice President and a board member of CBMS, actively contributing to the society’s growth and global network expansion. Her election as President will guide the society’s academic direction and international collaboration strategies for the next two years.
Commenting on her new role, Dean Cho stated, “CBMS is a platform where the world’s leading researchers come together to discuss and shape the future of science. Building on UNIST’s culture of collaboration and innovation, I look forward to strengthening our global research network.”
In March of this year, Dean Cho was featured in Nature in celebration of International Women’s Day, highlighting her contributions to science and innovation. A key figure since UNIST’s founding, she has played a central role in establishing the university’s research-driven foundation. With her industry experience and entrepreneurial spirit—co-founding the startup LabSpinner Inc.—she is also actively involved in developing innovative medical devices.
With her election as CBMS President, UNIST aims to further solidify its leadership in micro- and nanobio research and accelerate its rise as a global research hub in these fields.
