Im Hana

Professor Im Hana is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Bio-Convergence Engineering at Sejong University, where she has maintained a continuous professorship since 2000. Her research program focuses on protein engineering and elucidating disease mechanisms arising from protein structural alterations, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative conditions and extremophile adaptations.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Seoul National University (1986)
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin (1993)
• Postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1995)
• Senior Researcher position at Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) until 2000

Professor Im's research spans protein misfolding pathologies including dementia, Parkinson's disease, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alongside investigations into extremophile survival mechanisms and biopharmaceutical production. Her work integrates structural biology, proteomics, and molecular engineering to understand protein structure-function relationships and develop practical applications for disease intervention and industrial biotechnology. The laboratory actively explores chaperone-mediated protein folding, amyloid formation kinetics, and cold-adaptation strategies in polar microorganisms.

Analysis of her publication record reveals consistent focus on protein conformational diseases, with significant contributions to understanding alpha-synuclein aggregation in neurodegeneration and Z-variant alpha-1 antitrypsin pathology. Recent work expands into extremophile protein engineering and battery materials science, demonstrating interdisciplinary innovation while maintaining core expertise in protein misfolding disorders and structural adaptations.

She leads the Protein Engineering Laboratory (Chung 607A) at Sejong University, directing research that bridges fundamental protein science with biomedical and industrial applications. Her teaching portfolio includes General Biology, General Chemistry, and Graduation Research courses across multiple departments, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary education in life sciences and bio-convergence engineering.