CCADD attended this year's highly anticipated biennial conference hosted by the Korean Society of Medical Informatics (KOSMI). Held at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu, South Korea, the conference spanned two insightful days, supplemented by a three-hour tutorial program.

Under the theme of "Revolution and Innovation in Smart Healthcare," the event delved into an array of captivating topics. Attendees had the privilege of exploring groundbreaking subjects, including the "Application of Large Language Models in Healthcare" and the "Utilization of ChatGPT and Natural Language Processing Models in Medical Research."

Throughout the conference, CCADD seized every moment to absorb valuable lessons. The gathering also served as a catalyst for expanding perspectives and engaging in constructive discussions at this pivotal juncture in the realm of medicine and healthcare. With powerful technologies like ChatGPT emerging, the field is undoubtedly experiencing a wind of change, and KOSMI's conference provided a unique platform to address the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements.

 In a gathering of brilliant minds from around the world, Professor Howard and his team attended Conference on Health, Inference, and Learning (CHIL) 2023. The three-day event, held from June 22nd to 24th in Cambridge, Massachusetts, provided a platform for cutting-edge research and discussions on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare.

Prof. Howard, along with his students Jung Hyun and David, as well as his former student, Siun, were among the select few from South Korea to be invited to this renowned conference. Their attendance was further bolstered by the acceptance of their research paper, titled "Revisiting Machine-Learning Based Drug Repurposing: Drug Indications Are Not a Right Prediction Target," which they presented during the first day's poster session. The team explained the significance and implications of their study, actively engaging with fellow participants and answering questions. More information about the paper can be found here.

The conference encompassed an extensive array of topics, all of which were essential for researchers navigating the rapidly evolving field of AI in healthcare. Attendees were treated to enlightening talks and exciting ideas that spanned innovation, equity, and generalizability in machine learning for health. Discussions included "innovation in machine learning for health," "sharing health data in an age of generative AI: risks, limitations and solutions," "equity implications of machine learning in health: how technology could help or hurt," and "generalizability in machine learning for health: critical for robustness or a distraction from specific validation."

Every moment of the conference proved to be an eye-opening experience. It served as an extraordinary opportunity to broaden their perspectives, push boundaries, and venture beyond their comfort zones.

The Korean Society of Medical Oncology or KSMO is the largest academic congregation in the filed of oncology, consisting not only of medical or clinical oncologists, but of basic and clinical researchers involved in the development of anti-cancer drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines. Prof. Howard Lee was invited to this year's general assembly and symposium for KSMO and discussed the potential and pitfalls of antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs. The first ADC, Mylotarg, was approved in 2000 by the US FDA, followed by its voluntary withdrawal in 2010 due to safety issue, and re-approval in 2017, which just tells how difficult it has been to develop a safe and effective ADC for clinical usage in cancer patients. However, eight ADCs have been approved by the US FDA since 2019 totaling 13, and this indicates how promising the development horizon of ADCs can be. Prof. Lee talked about the pros and cons of ADCs mainly from the perspective of drug development. For example, an ADC consists of three independent components: an antibody (mostly monoclonal antibody or mAb), a cytotoxic payload or warhead, and a linker that combines both antibody and payload. Due to its structural complexity and interactions between elements, which has not been fully elucidated yet, the development of an ADC has faced many technical difficulties. At the same time, however, ADCs also can become a much better platform than other competing ones in the field of oncology because of the uniqueness of its mechanism of action. 

Prof. Howard Lee was invited to a forum organized by the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) to celebrate its 10th anniversary of upgrade from a Ministry of Health and Welfare institution to a Prime Ministerial Office institution 10 years ago. Prof. Lee chaired the panel discussion at the forum. More detailed information about the forum can be found at this.

On May 16th, the recipient of SNU Global EDGE Fellowship was announced. This distinguished fellowship is awarded to a select few individuals who are deemed capable of demonstrating unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries and fostering positive changes.

At the heart of this prestigious honor is David. As part of this esteemed fellowship, he will be granted full tuition coverage and a monthly stipend. However, David perceives this recognition not as a pat on the back, but as a profound reminder of the tremendous fortune he has experienced thus far. He feels humbled by the invaluable support and assistance he has received from his peers and his academic supervisor, Prof. Howard. This honor serves as both a source of motivation for David to continue pushing forward and an inspiration to challenge himself to even greater extents.

In a remarkable display of camaraderie, CCADD and PMATCH orchestrated a picnic at the Han River Park on the eve of Teacher's Day. As nature bestowed its benevolence upon us, we found ourselves immersed in a perfect afternoon. With the sun's gentle caress and the river's serenade, we reveled in the kindred spirits, savoring the delights of frosty drinks and delectable foods.

Yet, the allure of the evening did not end there. Our collective spirit soared as we played mini-games, guessing the identities of illustrious personalities and iconic movies. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, each moment filled with suspense and fun, with laughter and delight. The day felt all the more special with the joining of a new member, Tuan.

Ultimately, the picnic’s highlight came as we conveyed our gratitude to Prof. Howard. We cut the cake, delivered a small gift and a flower, a humble testament to our heartfelt appreciation for his unwavering dedication, support, and guidance.

As the sun gracefully dipped, casting its golden hues upon us, we said Goodbye to the memory that shall forever be etched in our collective experience. The essence of Teacher's Day resonated within us, within the echoes of laughter, and within our thanks to Prof. Howard.

CCADD welcomes Le Dinh Tuan as a new researcher.

Tuan studied Computer Science at the University of Engineering and Technology, Vietnam National University. Afterward, he spent two years as a research assistant at the Multimedia Communication Signal Processing Lab (MCSP Lab) and received his master's from Artificial Intelligence Convergence Department, Pukyong National University. Tuan's research interests centere around statistical and machine learning (especially deep learning) methods for clinical data analysis.

As a researcher under the supervision of Professor Howard Lee, Tuan will actively partake in the current projects at CCADD pertaining to medical artificial intelligence. At the same time, he will seek to further his knowledge on applying the artificial intelligence technology to the fields of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences.

CCADD is thrilled to welcome Tuan to our team and looks forward to his contributions to our ongoing research efforts.

Prof. Howard Lee was invited to Arirang TV New Show in the morning of April 7, 2023, which is World Health Day set by WHO or the World Health Organization. Prof. Lee talked about the implication of the day, coupled with the accomplishments by WHO, particularly for the last couple of years such as the global management of infectious diseases including the COVID-19 pandemic. Full details of Prof. Lee's interview can be watched at the following YouTube link.