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– KRW 11.3 billion to be invested through 2031 to develop an AI-powered precision medicine platform using medical data from four affiliated hospitals

Soonchunhyang University announced on the 12th that it had been selected for an interdisciplinary research project under the 2026 Advanced AI Early-Career Researcher Support Program, administered by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP).

This project supports collaborative research among universities, research institutions, and businesses to cultivate early-career researchers who will lead the future AI market. Soonchunhyang University will collaborate with Kyung Hee University on the “AI Star Fellowship Support” project.

The project will run from July 2026 to December 2031, with a total budget of KRW 11.3 billion, including KRW 11 billion in government research and development funding and KRW 300 million in institutional contributions. Using multi-institutional medical data from Soonchunhyang University’s four affiliated hospitals and Kyung Hee University Medical Center, the project will develop an agentic AI-based precision medicine platform integrating models, biomarkers, and therapeutics through the “Model-Marker-Medicine” framework.

The project aims to integrate and standardize diverse medical data, including clinical information, medical images, biosignals, and omics data, and develop a large-scale AI model capable of predicting disease prognosis and drug response for approximately 1,000 diseases. The project will also focus on developing disease-specific foundation models, AI biomarkers and digital twins, a clinical decision support system (CDSS) for prescribing, technologies for identifying new drug candidates, and virtual clinical trial technologies.

The research will be organized around three key projects: "Project Model," led by Professor Yeon Dong-geon of Kyung Hee University; "Project Marker," led by Professor Cho Yong-won of Soonchunhyang University; and "Project Medicine," led by Professor Kim Jeong-an of Soonchunhyang University. The goal is to accelerate the clinical application and commercialization of research outcomes by integrating the data, AI models, biomarkers, and drug candidates developed through each project.

Soonchunhyang University will align this project with AI-medical convergence, a core focus of the Glocal University 30 initiative. By integrating the educational, research, and clinical infrastructure of the university and its four affiliated hospitals, the university aims to develop foundational medical AI technologies and cultivate interdisciplinary early-career researchers specializing in precision medicine, biohealth, and drug development.

The university also plans to pursue patent applications, software registrations, and technology transfers for the medical AI models, foundation models, and biomarker-related technologies developed through the research. Through these efforts, the university aims to enhance the competitiveness of the medical AI and biohealth industries in the Chungcheong region and reduce regional disparities in healthcare services.

President Song Byeong-kug said, "This selection recognizes Soonchunhyang University's AI-medical convergence innovation strategy pursued through the Glocal University 30 initiative, as well as its research capabilities that connect universities, hospitals, and businesses." He added, "By bringing together the medical infrastructure of our four affiliated hospitals and the university's expertise in AI and biohealth, we will develop world-class medical AI technologies and cultivate interdisciplinary research talent who will help shape the future of the region and the nation."