Professor Jae-Seong Lee (Department of Biological Sciences) Receives Germany's Prestigious 'Humboldt Research Award' – Becomes 11th Korean Recipient

On July 31, 2025, Professor Jae-Seong Lee from the Department of Biological Sciences at Sungkyunkwan University was selected as a recipient of the Humboldt Research Award, one of the most prestigious international honors presented by the German government and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

This award recognizes internationally renowned researchers outside of Germany who have made outstanding contributions to their field. Recipients are invited to conduct collaborative research with a German partner institution — in this case, the University of Rostock — for a period of 6 to 12 months. The award includes €80,000 (approximately KRW 130 million) in funding to support living expenses and joint research activities during the stay.

▲About the Humboldt Research Award

Professor Lee is the 11th Korean researcher to receive this award, marking a significant milestone that elevates the global standing of Korean research in biological and environmental sciences. His work has been internationally recognized for its contribution to addressing major global environmental challenges, including climate change, marine ecosystems, and the ecotoxicological impact of micropollutants.

A full member of the National Academy of Science and Technology of Korea (NAST) since 2022 and a recipient of the SKKU Fellowship in 2021, Professor Lee has spent over 30 years advancing the fields of environmental toxicology, genomics, microbiome research, epigenetics, and the interactions between microplastics and aquatic organisms.

His research using model aquatic species — such as Daphnia, copepods, rotifers, and marine medaka — to explore molecular mechanisms of toxicity has positioned him as a global leader in the field. He has published over 520 SCI(E)-indexed papers, including 41 review articles, and his work has been cited more than 22,500 times (h-index 73, according to Google Scholar). His research appears regularly in top-tier journals such as Nature Climate Change, Nature Protocols, Environmental Chemistry Letters, Water Research, Environmental Science & Technology, and the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Professor Lee is also actively engaged in international collaboration with institutions in Japan, France, and China, and serves as an editorial board member for several leading scientific journals, contributing significantly to the advancement of global scholarship.

This award not only honors Professor Lee's personal achievements, but also showcases the high level of research excellence in Korea’s life and environmental sciences. It is expected to strengthen Korea-Germany cooperation in science and technology, particularly in the areas of environmental toxicology and genome-based ecological risk assessment.