Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) student Sehyeon Lee, a first-year student in the Department of Medicine, has been selected as a 2026 Research Support Scholar in the field of Medicine by the Health Scholarship Foundation. She is the only undergraduate among applicants from medical schools and graduate programs nationwide.

The Health Scholarship Foundation, a public foundation established in 1970 to carry on the wishes of the late Dr. Yu Il-han, founder of Yuhan Corporation, annually selects outstanding researchers in health fields such as medicine, pharmacy, and nursing and provides research funding.

Under the supervision of Professor Moon Young-jae of the JBNU College of Medicine (Orthopedics and Biochemistry) and Professor Kim Hyun-ho of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea (Pediatrics), Sehyeon Lee is conducting medical artificial intelligence research to predict early the risk of pulmonary metastasis in patients with the rare cancer soft tissue sarcoma.

The research project is titled "Early Prediction and Risk Stratification of Pulmonary Metastasis in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Based on an Image–Pathology Integrated Multimodal Foundation Model." The project focuses on predicting the risk of pulmonary metastasis at the diagnostic stage using an AI model that integrates multi-institutional MRI, PET, and pathology data, with the aim of improving individualized treatment planning and prognosis.

Despite being an undergraduate, Sehyeon Lee has led AI research using medical imaging and pathology data and achieved notable research outcomes in the field. She has published two first-author papers in SCI(E)-indexed international journals and has received awards such as Best Paper and Excellent Presentation at major conferences, including the Korean Society of Medical Informatics and the Korean Society of Medical Artificial Intelligence, reflecting high research capability and strong potential for growth.

Sehyeon Lee said, "This scholarship is especially meaningful because it continues the spirit of Dr. Yu Il-han, whom I encountered in a childhood biography. I will continue research that saves lives through medical and engineering technologies, and I aspire to be a researcher who returns those achievements to society."

Professor Moon Young-jae, who supervised Sehyeon Lee, said, "Sehyeon Lee possesses outstanding ability to apply state-of-the-art medical AI technologies to real clinical imaging data. As a researcher who integrates medical expertise with computational and statistical methods, Lee has very high potential to grow into a physician–scientist who leads both patient care and research."