Nanomedicine Pioneer Cheon Jin-woo Named Korea's Top Scientist of 2026 for Magnetogenetics and Neural Circuit Breakthroughs
Key Insights
Cheon Jin-woo (search), a Yonsei University professor and founding director of the IBS Center for Nanomedicine, has received the 2026 Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea, the nation's highest scientific honor.
He was recognized for pioneering nanomedicine by integrating nanochemistry with biotechnology to advance disease diagnosis, cell therapy, and neural circuit modulation.
Cheon's magnetogenetics technologies enable wireless, remote control of neuronal activity in living animals using magnetic fields, published in Nature Materials (2021) and Nature Nanotechnology (2024).
Cheon Jin-woo (search), a distinguished professor at Yonsei University and founding director of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Nanomedicine, has been named the winner of the 2026 Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea — the nation's highest honor for scientists and engineers. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies announced the selection on Monday, recognizing Cheon's decades-long contributions to establishing nanomedicine as a transformative field at the intersection of nanochemistry and biotechnology.
The award will be formally presented during the 2026 World Congress of Korean Scientists and Engineers on Tuesday, accompanied by a presidential citation and a 300 million won (approximately $196,000) cash prize.
Pioneering Nanomedicine from the Ground Up
Cheon was recognized for developing novel medical approaches spanning disease diagnosis, cell therapy, and neural circuit modulation. His work represents the integration of nanochemistry with biotechnology, creating tools that operate at the nanoscale to address complex biological challenges.
"As a first-generation researcher who introduced nanoscience into medicine, I believe this award recognizes not only my research in nanoscience since the late 1990s but also my efforts to expand and integrate it into the field of nanomedicine," Cheon said in response to the announcement.
Magnetogenetics: A New Paradigm for Neural Control
Among Cheon's most significant contributions is the development of magnetogenetics technologies, which enable wireless and remote control of neuronal activity in living animals using magnetic fields. This innovation addresses longstanding challenges in brain-computer interface (BCI) research by introducing a therapeutic paradigm that allows for the safe control of specific neural circuits without the need for surgical intervention.
The foundational findings were published in Nature Materials in 2021, with subsequent advances appearing in Nature Nanotechnology in 2024. These publications underscore the growing recognition of nanomedicine's potential beyond traditional applications in disease diagnosis and drug delivery, extending into neuroscience and BCI research.
Building Institutional Infrastructure for Nanomedicine
In 2015, Cheon founded the IBS Center for Nanomedicine, a research center established under a special presidential act to promote basic science research in Korea. More recently, he played a pivotal role in bringing the Max Planck-Yonsei IBS Center for Nanomedicine Deep Tissue Control to Korea. The Max Planck Society (search), founded in 1948 and one of the world's leading scientific organizations, has produced 39 Nobel laureates — a testament to the caliber of international collaboration now anchored in Korea through Cheon's efforts.
A Vision for Medicine's Next Wave
Cheon articulated a forward-looking vision for the field, drawing parallels to the semiconductor revolution. "Nanoscience is both the foundation and an enabler for advanced industries. Its first wave has already laid the groundwork for the semiconductor industry. I believe the next, even a bigger wave, will be a revolution in medicine, with nanomedicine at its center," he said.
As nanomedicine continues to expand into areas such as brain-computer interfaces and other neuroscience applications, Cheon's recognition signals Korea's growing prominence in a field poised to reshape therapeutic approaches across multiple disease areas.