Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Avian Disease Research Institute Director Jang Hyung-gwan (Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine) received the Odang (梧堂) Academic Award at the 42nd Annual Meeting and Conference of the Korean Poultry Science Association held recently in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of poultry science.

The Odang Academic Award was established from an endowment donated by the late Oh Bong-guk, former Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Seoul National University, a pioneer in the field of poultry science. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the field of animal husbandry.

Director Jang has produced numerous research outcomes in the field of poultry diseases and contributed to the advancement of the academic community. He has also served as a policy advisor to major government committees, including the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Livestock Products Hygiene Review Committee, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Crisis Management Manual Council, the Central Livestock Quarantine Review Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Infectious Disease Research Forum of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, playing a significant role in strengthening the national quarantine and disease control system.

Director Jang Hyung-gwan said, 'I am deeply honored to receive this distinguished award.' He added, 'I accept it as encouragement for my past research and academic activities, and I will continue to work to train young researchers and to expand the academic foundation.'

Meanwhile, at the conference, Choi Yu-ri, a doctoral candidate in the College of Veterinary Medicine at JBNU (supervisor: Professor Kang Min), also received the Excellent Paper Presentation Award. Choi presented research evaluating the potential reversion to virulence of the SG9R vaccine strain based on domestic cases of poultry typhoid (FT), a study recognized for its academic contribution.

He said, 'I thank all the researchers who participated in this study. Building on this achievement, I will continue research that helps address current issues in the poultry field.'