KAIST BRAIN RePAIR Minee Choi's Lab

New Keys to the Deadlock of Human Brain Disorders

The KAIST BRAIN RePAIR Lab is a team of researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) dedicated to making brain diseases more curable than yesterday. The primary aspiration of this endeavor is to foster a more profound understanding of the molecular and cellular origins of Neuro-Degenerative, -Psychological & -Developmental diseases & disorders, thereby enabling a more strategic approach to the innovation of new therapeutic intervention.

Our objective is to develop a bespoke therapeutic platform to address three major challenges associated with human brain diseases.

  1. The distinctive complexity inherent in the human brain
  2. The clinical variability presented on an individual level
  3. The predominantly unknown etiological factors of the human brain diseases
[BBC] Animal brains vs. human brains - let the Battle of the Brains commence!
[BBC] Animal brains vs. human brains - let the Battle of the Brains commence!
[The Lancet] Report finds no common cause for mystery brain disease.
[The Lancet] Report finds no common cause for mystery brain disease.
[WHO] There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but therapies including medicines, surgery and rehabilitation can reduce symptoms.
[WHO] There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but therapies including medicines, surgery and rehabilitation can reduce symptoms.

Our therapeutic platform is underpinned by four pivotal technological advances.

Patient-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), facilitating the implementation of the ‘Disease in a dish’ model. This approach is instrumental in profiling an individual’s brain cells and elucidating the specific mechanisms driving their disease.
   
Brain organoid, often described as “Mini-brain”, a powerful tool in neuroscience, offering a unique window into the human brain’s complexities, diseases, and potential treatments.
   
High-resolution live cell imaging, a technique used in cell biology to study living cells using time-lapse microscopy. This technology allows scientists to observe the dynamic processes and behavior of cells in real-time, providing valuable insights into cellular function, morphology, and interactions.
   
Artificial intelligence (AI), harnessed to discern and comprehend the heterogeneity of these diseases, thereby contributing to the development of a predictive model individualized for each patient.
   
Workflow to develop a classifier to make a prediction of cellular subtypes in PD
Workflow to develop a classifier to make a prediction of cellular subtypes in PD
A classifier trained on cell profiles of key organelles predicts disease states with 82% accuracy.
A classifier trained on cell profiles of key organelles predicts disease states with 82% accuracy.

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