Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023. As the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research, Kim leads the College of Medicine’s education, research, and clinical missions, the culture of innovation, and will focus on enhancing team-based interdisciplinary collaboration across the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, the University at large and across commonwealth campuses. As Physician in Chief, Kim plays a critical role in shaping the academic health system.

In addition to being dean, Kim is a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research, curricular innovation, and public policy. Her research focuses on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance cancer health equity among marginalized and vulnerable populations. As founder and director of the Center for Asian Health Equity community-academic partnership, Kim is a national leader in public policies for the inclusion of Asian Americans and underserved populations in research.

Prior to joining Penn State, Kim served as the Vice Provost for Research and Senior Research Officer at the University of Chicago, the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Chair and Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her tenure as Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kim collaborated with divisions, schools, centers and institutes across the University and national laboratories to establish strategic research priorities, significantly increase interdisciplinary research and funding success and to enhance broader impact through inclusive innovation.

With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention, and minority health research, Kim is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Kim leads the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across urban and rural regions and has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in healthcare services among federally qualified community and rural health centers.

In addition to her research, Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award, and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.

She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American Public Health Association.

She is the College’s first female dean and the only current Korean-American woman to hold such a title nationally.

Dr. Howard K. Koh is the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan) as well as Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative. At Harvard Chan, he is also the inaugural Chair of the Initiative on Health and Homelessness and formerly headed the Center for Public Health Preparedness. He served as the 14th Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2009-2014) after being nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the US Senate, and as Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1997-2003) after being appointed by Governor William Weld. He was also appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Cancer Advisory Board (2000-2002).

A graduate of Yale College (where he was President of the Yale Glee Club) and the Yale University School of Medicine, he trained at Boston City Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, earned board certifications in four medical fields, served as Principal Investigator of research grants totaling $27M and published more than 300 articles in the medical and public health literature. He has received over 70 awards and honors for interdisciplinary accomplishments in medicine and public health including six honorary doctorate degrees, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for National Service, the Sedgwick Memorial Medal from the American Public Health Association (its highest honor), the Champion Award from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Cancer Society.

As part of recognition as a “Medical All Star” by the Boston Red Sox for promoting the early detection and prevention of melanoma, he delivered the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park (2003). In 2019, HHS established the annual Dr. Howard K. Koh Award for Excellence in Leadership sponsored by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council. He and his wife Dr Claudia Arrigg are the proud parents of three adult children and the proud grandparents of five grandchildren.

Dr. Linda Lee, MD, serves as the Medical Director of Endoscopy at both Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. She is also the Director of the National Pancreas Foundation Center for Treatment and Care of Pancreatic Cancer at BWH/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Lee specializes in advanced endoscopic procedures, including EMR, ERCP, and EUS, with a clinical focus on pancreatic diseases. She has authored over 100 publications in this area and is the solo editor of a widely respected textbook that takes a case-based approach to ERCP and EUS.

She was appointed Editor-in-Chief of iGIE, the online-only journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), and co-chaired an NIDDK workshop on Endoscopic Ultrasound in Pancreatic Diseases. Dr. Lee has also held leadership roles in ASGE, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).

In addition to her academic and clinical work, Dr. Lee co-founded NEWEndo (New England Women in Endoscopy), a group that brings together women gastroenterologists across the region.

Born as the son of a diplomat, I spent much of my youth living in different countries and being immersed in diverse cultures and languages, including English, French, and Spanish. This global upbringing shaped my perspective and influenced my approach to medicine.

I completed my medical education, general surgery residency, and fellowship in liver transplantation and hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgical oncology at Seoul National University in Korea. With a strong interest in minimally invasive surgery, I launched a laparoscopic liver program in 2008, followed by a laparoscopic living donor program in 2013 at Samsung Medical Center. These programs have since grown to become some of the largest of their kind in the world.

In 2017, I relocated to the United States, first joining the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and then moving to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio in 2018. I currently serve as the Section Head of HPB Surgery and Director of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery. In 2019, I launched a laparoscopic donor program that is now one of the largest minimally invasive living donor programs in the country.

Throughout my career, I have organized and participated in numerous outreach initiatives across Asia and the Americas to support the development of living donor liver transplant and laparoscopic liver resection programs. Over the past 15+ years, I have performed more than 1,000 liver transplants—including 700 living donor transplants—and over 1,000 laparoscopic liver resections, often demonstrating live surgeries internationally.

Jamie A. Ku, MD, is a board-certified Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgeon in the Cleveland Clinic's Head and Neck Department in the Integrated Surgical Institute. She is also a Staff Member in both the Section of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology and the Section of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Her clinical expertise is in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant head and neck tumors and complex reconstruction of the head and neck. Dr. Ku is skilled in the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as transoral robotic surgery, and serves as the Director of the Head and Neck Robotic Surgery Program.

After completing her undergraduate degree at Duke University, Dr. Ku earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2010, where she also completed a one-year research fellowship in Head and Neck Tumor Molecular Signaling.

She completed her post-graduate surgical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University in 2015. She then pursued a two-year dual fellowship in advanced Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Youngwu Kim, MD, is a urogynecologist in the Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS) Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She earned her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her OB/GYN residency at the University of Massachusetts, UMass Memorial. Dr. Kim then went on to complete her fellowship in URPS at Mass General, where she is now a valued member of the urogynecology team. Dr. Kim also practices at the Mass General Pelvic Floor Disorder Center, where she provides expert care for a wide range of benign and complex pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (such as vaginal or uterine prolapse). She also treats complications from prior pelvic surgeries and performs advanced pelvic reconstructive procedures.

She is a surgical member of the Massachusetts General Brigham Transgender Health Program, providing gender-affirming pelvic surgical care as part of a multidisciplinary team. With a focus on minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Kim specializes in laparoscopic and robotically assisted surgeries. Her research interests include clinical and surgical outcomes in pelvic floor and gender-affirming reconstructive surgery, as well as the role of beneficial lactobacilli in the vaginal and bladder microbiomes.

Dr. Rebekah Kim is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon who has been practicing in Northern Virginia since 2012. She developed a deep commitment to serving the local Korean-American community from her childhood experience of witnessing the challenges her immigrant parents faced as her sister underwent multiple surgical procedures. She completed fellowships in minimally invasive surgery and in colon and rectal surgery at Orlando Health Regional Medical Center and Florida Hospital in Orlando, Florida.

She is a surgical member of the Massachusetts General Brigham Transgender Health Program, providing gender-affirming She completed her general surgery residency at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after completing her medical degree at Dartmouth Medical School in 2005. She works in medical missions with the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). She has mentored African surgical residents through PAACS and serves as the Chair of its Spiritual Committee. She also currently trains surgical residents and medical students in Fairfax, Virginia at the UVA School of Medicine Inova Campus. Dr. Kim hails from the New York/New Jersey area and will always be a Yankees fan.

Hyung is a physician scientist who was a tenured faculty member at Yale School of Medicine, where he continues to serve as adjunct faculty. He has published extensively in top scientific and medical journals including Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine, and Science Translational Medicine, and is an inventor on multiple patents.

He has held multiple academic leadership roles, including Co-Director of the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center and Director of Translational Research of the Yale Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program. He has also served in advisory roles to several large pharmaceutical companies and early-stage biotechs.

Throughout his academic career, Hyung has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health and has been recognized with numerous honors. These include the Jeremiah Stamler Distinguished Young Investigator Prize, the Irvine H. Page Award from the American Heart Association, election as a Fellow of the American Heart Association, membership in the Sir William Osler Interurban Clinical Club, and induction into the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Hyung earned his A.B. with honors in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College and his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and cardiovascular fellowship at Stanford and was a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. He is a board-certified cardiologist who continues to care for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Edwin Choy grew up in California, went to college at Yale, and went to medical school at NYU, where he graduated in 2000 with an MD PhD.

He is now Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Program Director of Sarcoma Oncology at the Mass General Cancer Center. He specializes in the medical management of patients with sarcomas, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, chordomas, and other connective tissue tumors such as giant cell tumor of bone and desmoid fibromatosis.

He works closely with a team of world-class surgical, orthopedic, and radiation oncologists, as well as bone and soft tissue pathologists and radiologists, to provide the best possible care for his patients.

He directs a clinical trials program at the MGH Center for Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Oncology that includes up to a dozen clinical trials that are active at any given time. He also maintains an active scientific research program that investigates a wide range of sarcoma therapies—from the use of genomic testing, cryoablation, and bioengineered T-cells to other translational and clinical tools—aimed at developing better treatments for patients with sarcoma.

In 2010, Dr. Kwon completed her Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship, having achieved the highest level of proficiency in multimodality imaging, including cardiac MRI, cardiac CT, and echocardiography.

In 2014, she became the Director of Cardiac MRI Research at the Cleveland Clinic, and in 2018, she became the Director of Cardiac MRI. She spearheaded the development of the Cardiovascular Radiobiomics Artificial Intelligence Consortium (CRAIC) to establish the Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center (CIRC) in 2022, featuring multi-disciplinary expert PhD biomedical and data scientists working closely in conjunction with physician scientists. As the Medical Director, she worked with this team to establish an infrastructure for rapid clinical translational implementation of innovative MRI imaging protocols and techniques to augment current clinical practice.

Dr. Kwon is the principal investigator of an R01 grant funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in 2023, investigating the role of cardiac MRI to improve phenotypic classification and prediction of treatment outcomes in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and functional mitral regurgitation. She is also the Core Lab MRI Director for several multicenter NIH trials and collaborates on multiple additional NIH and industry-sponsored studies.

Her collective work leverages CMR to enhance personalized therapeutic management strategies to improve patient outcomes. She has become increasingly more passionate about democratizing cardiac MRI access to enable advanced quality cardiovascular care for all.

In 2024, she was elected to the Board of Trustees for the Society for Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) and was appointed Vice Chair of the SCMR Clinical Trials Committee. She also led the SCMR Efficient CMR Task Force focus group on Operations, Workflow, and Reporting. This is an exciting time for the field of CMR with increasing innovation integrated with artificial intelligence that will result in significantly increased access and impact.

Minna Lee graduated cum laude from Princeton University and received her MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was honored with the Allen O. Whipple Award for excellence in surgery.

She completed her general surgery residency at UCLA and went on to complete a breast surgical oncology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Following fellowship, she joined the academic faculty at UCLA for two years.

Dr. Lee later relocated to New York City to join the faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she cares for patients with breast cancer. Her laboratory research focuses on how inherited gene mutations that increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer may also lead to resistance to standard treatments.

Dr. Lim has been involved with medical education for nearly 20 years in the Atlanta area, beginning his career as a PGY-4 chief resident before working briefly as a hospitalist.

Over the years, he has trained countless students and residents as a core faculty physician and has served as an associate program director for two different training programs.

His passion has always been in education and mentorship—helping others improve their critical thinking skills, refine the diagnostic process, and navigate their careers with confidence.

Paul Y. Song, MD, is currently Chairman and CEO of NKGen Biotech. His most recent clinical role was as Assistant Professor at the Samuel Oschin Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In 2013, he served as the very first visiting fellow on healthcare policy in the California Department of Insurance.

Dr. Song is the Co-Founder and former CEO of Fuse Biotherapeutics, which was sold in May. He also serves on the board of several organizations, including PeproMene Bio, Hawkeye Bio, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, Mercy Corps, and Gideon’s Promise.

He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago and earned his MD from George Washington University. He completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Chicago, where he served as Chief Resident, and went on to complete a brachytherapy fellowship at the Institute Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France. In 1995, he was awarded an ASTRO research fellowship for his work in radiation-inducible gene therapy.

Dr. Song’s commitment to public service and leadership is also part of his family legacy. His late maternal grandfather, Sang Don Kim, was the first democratically elected mayor of Seoul, South Korea.

Dr. Paul Chang is a second-generation Korean-American who grew up in Michigan before completing medical training in Philadelphia and New York City. He completed training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and is now an attending physician with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Outside of medicine, Dr. Paul Chang enjoys spending time with family and is the proud parent of three beautiful children.

Bobby Mukkamala, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon, was voted president-elect of the American Medical Association in June 2024. A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, he is in solo, private practice in Flint, Mich.

Dr. Mukkamala, who has been active in the AMA since residency, is a past Michigan representative to the AMA Young Physicians Section, a past recipient of the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award and, for 13 years, served as a member of the Michigan delegation to the AMA House of Delegates. In 2009 he was elected to the AMA Council on Science and Public Health and served as its chair from 2016 to 2017.

In addition to his leadership roles at the AMA, Dr. Mukkamala has served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors since 2011, as board chair for two years, and as its president. He is also a past president of the Genesee County Medical Society (GCMS) and continues to serve on the GCMS Board of Directors.

While a wide range of public health issues are important to Dr. Mukkamala, no issue strikes closer to home than his own city of Flint’s nationally publicized struggles with high levels of lead leaching into the drinking water. As the past chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, he and the foundation’s board became the clearinghouse for funding projects focused on mitigating the effects of lead in local children. He is a member of the board of the Foundation for Flint that is working to increase access to high-quality early education for children—a proven strategy for helping children who have been exposed to lead. He was also recently appointed as a trustee of the C.S. Mott Foundation, which is headquartered in Flint and promotes a just, equitable and sustainable society.

Deeply committed to the revitalization of his hometown, Dr. Mukkamala returned to Flint after completing his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago in 2000. Today, he shares an office with his wife, Nita Kulkarni, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist. Together, they have been part of the city’s revitalization, including demonstrating their dedication to Flint by establishing the Endowed Health Professions Scholarships at the University of Michigan, Flint, in 2012.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Mukkamala enjoys tinkering with his car collection and spending time with family that includes twin sons, Deven, a PhD candidate in political philosophy at Duke University and Nikhil, a biomedical engineer.

Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., FACP, FASCO, is an internationally recognized physician executive, scientist and medical oncologist known for his trailblazing discoveries, leadership, and advocacy for equity in clinical study participation.

Dr. Kim’s leadership at City of Hope has significantly improved patient outcomes and access to nationally ranked cancer research and treatment, including more than 730 cancer-focused clinical trials each year. He is among the country’s foremost champions for eliminating outmoded clinical trial participation criteria that often impacts underserved populations, resulting in serious gaps in care and research integrity

He has served as a principal/co-principal investigator on numerous clinical studies and protocols and authored/ co-authored more than 250 published articles, book chapters, and reviews in top-tier journals such as The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer Discovery, Cancer, Nature Medicine, and Cancer Prevention Research.

Dr. Kim is renowned for his seminal BATTLE (Biomarker-integrated Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination) study, which revolutionized lung cancer by introducing effective personalized therapies.

Dr. Kim is one of only 15 oncologists worldwide to be recognized as a 2024 “Giant of Cancer Care” by OncLive, oncology’s most prestigious honor. He has twice been honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the nation’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders, recognized as one of the top cancer leaders in the nation by Friends of Cancer Research and honored as a U.S. News & World Report “Top Doctor.” In addition, he has been repeatedly recognized as one of Orange County’s most influential people by The Orange County Register and Orange County Business Journal

Degrees

M.B.A., University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler School of Business, Chapel Hill, NC

M.D. and Honors Program in Medical Education, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

B.S., Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Fellowship

Medical Oncology Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Clinical Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Se-Min Kim, MD, is a board-certified endocrinologist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Bone Disease in the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

He earned his medical degree from the Catholic University of Korea and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center. Dr. Kim then spent two years in translational research as a research associate in the Metabolic Bone Program at Mount Sinai, before completing his Endocrinology fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Dr. Kim currently sees patients at Mount Sinai Downtown, with a clinical focus on metabolic bone disorders and autoimmune thyroiditis. As Clinical Director at the Center of Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, he serves as an investigator on NIH-funded research projects. His research includes studies on the therapeutic potential of blocking follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and inhibiting PDE5 in age-related osteoporosis, as well as investigating the role of pituitary hormone insufficiency in long COVID.

He is a member of the Endocrine Society and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and he is a former president of Korean International Graduate of NY/NJ (KNI).

After immigrating to Georgia from South Korea as a young child, Dr. Jin Lee has remained in Georgia for all of his education and medical training. He now proudly serves the very community that helped raise him.

Dr. Lee served as chief resident during his PGY-3 year at Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Throughout his time in both residency and faculty roles, he has been recognized for his dedication to medical education. He received the Peer Teacher Award in 2019 and the faculty Lesser Teaching Award in 2021.

As Associate Program Director, Dr. Lee also serves as the site director for Northside Gwinnett’s inpatient clerkship and sub-internship programs for medical students. He has led several curricular advancements at NHG, including initiatives in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), advocacy, and procedural training.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Lee is an avid Atlanta sports fan, cheering for teams like the Hawks and Falcons. He enjoys watching mixed martial arts and has recently started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His favorite TV shows of all time include How I Met Your Mother, House, M.D., and Suits.

Dr. Michael Lim is a Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He earned his MD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Neurosurgery at Stanford University Hospital. He later became a Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, and Radiation Oncology at Johns Hopkins before returning to Stanford to lead the Department of Neurosurgery.

Dr. Lim specializes in the surgical treatment of both benign and malignant brain tumors, with particular expertise in gliomas (including ependymoma), meningiomas, pituitary tumors, and skull base tumors. He has extensive experience in advanced neurosurgical techniques, including image-guided surgery, microsurgery, minimally invasive procedures, and endoscopic surgery.

His primary research interest lies in developing immune-based therapies for brain tumors. His laboratory focuses on understanding how primary brain tumors evade the immune system, with the goal of translating these findings into novel therapeutic strategies. In addition to directing his research lab, Dr. Lim serves as the principal investigator for several large clinical trials investigating immunotherapy for brain tumors.

Dr. Esther Oh is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pathology. She also holds appointments in the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health.

She is an investigator in the Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease and serves as Co-Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Core of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory. Dr. Oh is also Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center, a multidisciplinary clinic involving geriatricians, neurologists, and psychiatrists, with over 3,500 annual patient encounters.

Dr. Oh has served as President of the American Delirium Society (2022–2023) and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the American Geriatrics Society.

Her clinical and research interests center on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Her work includes developing fluid and biometric biomarkers for early AD detection and for predicting postoperative delirium, cognitive changes after surgery, and long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19. She also studies sensory changes related to AD. Dr. Oh is a recipient of multiple research grants from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Han-Kwang Yang currently serves as President of the National Cancer Center Korea, where he oversees the Cancer Research Institute, Hospital, National Cancer Control Institute, and Graduate School. He is also a Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University.

Dr. Yang has been involved in numerous large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focused on the treatment of gastric cancer. He is the founding chairman of KLASS (Korean Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Surgery Study Group) and has made major contributions to the field of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gastric cancer, particularly in function-preserving procedures such as pylorus-preserving gastrectomy.

His translational research interests include gastric carcinogenesis, drug delivery systems (DDS), familial gastric cancer, biomarkers, and the development of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models for gastric cancer.

Dr. Yang is the Secretary General of the International Gastric Cancer Association. He is an Honorary Fellow of the American Surgical Association, an Honorary Member of the European Surgical Association, an Honorary International Fellow of the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery, and a member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST).

He has delivered over 410 invited lectures at international conferences and symposia.

Brian G. Choi, MD, FACC, is Professor of Medicine & Radiology, Chief Medical Information Officer, and Co-Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging in the Division of Cardiology at the George Washington University. He specializes in non-invasive cardiovascular imaging including cardiovascular CT and MRI, nuclear cardiology, and echocardiography. His clinical interests include the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and valvular heart disease.

Dr. Choi's research uses non-invasive imaging to assess coronary artery disease treatment strategies, atherosclerotic plaque composition, and their thrombotic complications, and he has developed new products for some of the world's leading healthcare companies. His publications include a study of menopause and osteoporosis drugs on atherosclerotic lesion vulnerability and an experimental model to assess treatment strategies to reduce bleeding complications from commonly used anti-platelet medications in the treatment of coronary disease. He is also a contributor to textbooks including chapters on “The Clinical Approach to the Patient with Thrombosis” in Platelets in Cardiovascular and Hematologic Disorders and “Lipoprotein Metabolism and Vascular Biology” in Therapeutic Lipidology. Dr. Choi has been invited to speak at medical conferences worldwide, and his research has been honored with awards from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Choi is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. His professional activities include service on the American College of Cardiology Informatics and Health IT Task Force and the board of RAD-AID International. He has been an abstract grader for the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and an invited reviewer for scientific publications submitted to Circulation. He has been consistently named a Washingtonian Top Doctor since 2012.

Dr. Choi received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He received his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Dr. Sanghyun Alexander Kim completed his fellowship in Colorectal Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2005. Since then, he has become an integral member of Mount Sinai’s surgical faculty, providing nearly two decades of clinical care and training. His mentorship has been instrumental in shaping the careers of numerous fellows and residents specializing in colorectal and general surgery.

Dr. Kim’s clinical and academic interests include Colon and Rectal Cancer, Fecal Incontinence, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). He is a recognized leader in cutting-edge treatment techniques, such as Robotic Colon Surgery, Painless Hemorrhoidectomy (THD), and the treatment of perianal diseases. His expertise encompasses minimally invasive procedures like TEMS (Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery) and Robotic TAMIS (Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery) for the treatment of early rectal malignancies and complex low rectal lesions.

In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Kim is deeply committed to education, particularly in high-resolution anoscopy (HRA). He has trained 47 colorectal surgeons in this advanced diagnostic technique and performs an average of 80 HRAs each month, contributing significantly to the field’s knowledge and practice.

Dr. Kim currently serves as Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and the Union Square Downtown location. He also oversees satellite offices in Morningside (NY), Ridgefield (NJ), and Flushing (NY), alongside his main office in Union Square. These offices cater to diverse populations, particularly Korean and Hispanic communities. Multilingual and dedicated to community service, Dr. Kim collaborates with local organizations to provide care to uninsured and underserved populations in both New York and New Jersey.

Dr. Min Ji Kwak is an Assistant Professor of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She obtained her medical degree from Ewha Woman’s University School of Medicine.

After completing residency in emergency medicine at Seoul National University Hospital, she moved to the United States, and completed internal medicine residency and geriatric medicine fellowship. She sees patients at the Memorial Hermann Hospital Acute Care for Elderly Unit and geriatric consultation patients. Dr. Kwak conducts various health service research in geriatric cardiology focusing on identifying the most optimal care strategy for older adults with cardiovascular diseases.