1. 논문관련 분야의 소개, 동향, 전망을 설명, 연구과정에서 생긴 에피소드

 Our study was using the National Breast Cancer Screening data embedded under the National Health Insurance Service- National Health Information Database, which is the healthcare big data platform in Korea. The paper was recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

 Briefly, the study examined the relationship between family history of breast cancer and changes in breast density over time in Korean women. We found that women with a family history of breast cancer had higher breast density and were more likely to have an increase in breast density over time compared to women without a family history of breast cancer. Our findings of this study suggest that women with a family history of breast cancer may benefit from more frequent breast cancer screening and monitoring of breast density changes over time. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal screening and monitoring strategies for this population. This paper is a small part of our ongoing project working on developing and validating a new breast cancer risk prediction targeting for Korean women.

2. 연구를 진행했던 소속기관 또는 연구소에 대해 소개 부탁드립니다.

 This paper was a collaboration between researchers from two institutions: the Department of Preventive Medicine at Hanyang University College of Medicine and Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, a part of the Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine. My co-first author, Prof. Yoosoo Chang, is a well-known researcher and physician at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital who has published many research articles in various medical journals, particularly in the field of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. I also received help from my colleague Dr. Soyeoun Kim, who provided valuable feedback on the research.

 Furthermore, this work was completed under the guidance of Prof. Boyoung Park from Hanyang University and Prof. Seungho Ryu from Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. Both of them are also well-known researchers who have published numerous research articles in various medical fields. They have been involved in several large-scale studies. For example, Prof. Ryu has been involved in the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study, which is a longitudinal study of health outcomes among Korean adults. Prof. Park has been involved in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), the Korean Atomic Bomb Survivors Cohort (K-ABC) and other large-scale projects.

3. 연구 활동 하시면서 평소 느끼신 점 또는 자부심, 보람

 After completing my doctoral program, I joined Hanyang University as a postdoctoral research fellow. Throughout my master's and PhD programs, the majority of my research focused on what happens after a cancer diagnosis, also known as cancer survivorship. I studied quality of life and mental and physical health problems among cancer survivors. However, my current research interests are focused on cancer prevention and detection, specifically in breast cancer. Although I am adapting to new areas of knowledge, the guidance from expert researchers, as I previously mentioned, and recent research achievements, including the publication in JAMA Network Open, have encouraged me to continue exploring this new direction.

4. 이 분야로 진학하려는 후배들 또는 유학준비생들에게 도움이 되는 말씀을 해 주신다면?

 Curiosity is the starting point for all researchers, and this is always my advice to junior researchers. As a medical researcher, a significant part of my daily work involves data analysis. In my experience, having not only the necessary statistical techniques but also a curious mindset is critical. Always ask 'why' when conducting research, and the next step is to try and find answers by yourself.

5. 연구 활동과 관련된 앞으로의 계획이 있으시다면?

 For future research, I will continue working on the breast cancer risk prediction model with the ultimate goal of developing a prediction model suitable for Korean women. Most of the current breast cancer prediction models are based on evidence from Western populations, so we aim to create a model that is specific to the Korean population. Additionally, I plan to explore other topics related to cancer prevention and detection.