Marine natural product and biotech research earns international recognition

Shin Hee-jae and Heo Su-jin, named to the '2026 World's Top 2% Scientists' list. [KIOST]
Shin Hee-jae and Heo Su-jin, named to the '2026 World's Top 2% Scientists' list. [KIOST]

Two South Korean marine scientists have surpassed 8,200 cumulative paper citations, earning spots on a global ranking of the world's top 2% researchers.

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) said Thursday that Shin Hee-jae of its Marine Bio-Resources Research Division and Heo Su-jin of its Jeju Bio Research Center have been named to the "2026 World's Top 2% Scientists" list, published by Stanford University and global academic publisher Elsevier.

Shin was recognized in both the career-long and single-year impact categories, while Heo was included in the career-long category.

Stanford University researchers compile the ranking using Elsevier's academic database Scopus, evaluating citation records and overall scholarly influence. It covers the top 100,000 researchers worldwide or the top 2% within each of 174 specialized research fields.

In the field of medicinal and biomolecular chemistry, Shin ranked in the top 1.62% on a career-long basis and the top 1.99% for a single year. His papers have been cited a cumulative 2,097 times, including 242 citations last year alone.

Shin's research focuses on identifying new natural compounds from marine microorganisms and other sources and determining their chemical structures and biological activity. He particularly concentrates on exploring the drug development potential of marine natural products with antibacterial and anticancer properties.

Heo ranked in the top 1.96% in the food science field on a career-long basis. Her cumulative citation count, excluding self-citations, stands at 6,116.

Her research involves identifying bioactive compounds from marine organisms such as seaweed and investigating their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. She also works on developing technology to convert marine and fisheries byproducts and regionally specialized aquatic resources into high-value food and biotech materials.

KIOST President Lee Hee-seung said the recognition "confirms internationally the research capabilities KIOST has consistently built in the field of marine biological resources," adding that the institute would "continue to create an environment where researchers can focus solely on their work."


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com