Yoonkey Nam (남 윤 기), PhD

​Professor
Department of Bio and Brain Engineering (faculty page)
KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology (link)
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

Address:
​291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141
Office: E16, Room 1007
Phone: +82-042-350-4322
Email: ynam (at) waist.ac.kr

Curriculum Vita (English)
​Google Scholar (link) PubMed(link) Publons(link) ORCID(link) Scopus Preview (link)
KAIST Star-Library (link)
Research Area
  • Neural interface control
  • Neural recording and stimulation technology
  • Surface micro-patterning technology for neurobiology
  • Nano-neurotechnology
  • Neuron-based biosensor technology
  • Neural network dynamics
  • Neuro-Machine interface system
Education
  • Ph. D.  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Electrical Engineering, 2005    
  • M.S.    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Electrical Engineering, 2003
  • B.S.      Seoul National University, Electrical Engineering, 1997
POSITIONS
  • 2023 - present  Head, Dept. of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST
  • 2020 - present  Professor, Dept. of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST
  • 2010 – 2020       Associate Professor, Dept. of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST
  • 2006 - 2010       Assistant Professor, Dept. of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST
  • 2013 – 2014        Visiting Scholar, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
  • 2005 - 2006       Post Doc., Dept. of Bioengineering, UIUC, USA
  • 2000 - 2005      Research Assistant, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UIUC, USA
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
  • Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (2010-2012, 2018)
  • Editorial board member, Experimental Neurobiology (2018 - present)​
  • Editorial board member, Journal of Biological Engineering Research (2010 - 2015)
  • Local Organizing Committee member, IEEE EMBC 2017 (2017)
  • Local Organizing Committee member, MicroTAS 2015 (2015)
  • Organizing Committee member, IBEC (International BioEngineering Conference) (2015)
  • Organizing Committee member, ISMM (International Symposium on Microchemistry and Microsystems) (2018)
  • International Scientific Program Committee of MEA Meeting (2016, 2018)
  • Chair of Academic Program Committee (Korea BioChip Society) (2016)
  • Chair of Academic Program Committee (Korean Society for Medical and Biological Engineering) (2010 -2011)
  • Chair of International Relationship Committee (Korean Society for Medical and Biological Engineering) (2017 - 2018)
  • Director of Future and Vision Planning (Korean Society for Medical and Biological Engineering) (2019 - 2022)​
HONORS & AWARDS
  • Best Paper Award (2018) by Korean Society of Medical & Biological Engineering (KOSOMBE)
  • 'The Top 100 Technologies and Leaders in 2025 Korea' (2017) by The National Academy of Engineering of Korea
  • Best Paper Award (2014) by National Research Foundation(NRF) & KOSOMBE
  • Early Career Achievement Award (2013) by The Korea BioChip Society
  • Young Investigator Awards in Biomedical Engineering (2011) by KOSOMBE
  • Excellent Collaboration in Research (2011) by KAIST
  • Outstanding Lecturer (2008) by KAIST
  • Outstanding Lecturer (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019) by Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST
TEACHING
  • Undergraduate course (link)
    1. BiS252 Bioinstrumentation Fundamentals 
    2. BiS301 Bioengineering Laboratory I (Neural Signal Processing session)
    3. BiS350 Bioengineering Laboratory II (Data Acquisition session) 
    4. BiS352 System Modeling in Bioengineering
  • Graduate course (link) 
    1. BiS752 Neural Engineering (syllabus)
Selected Publications
  1. [Book Chapter] Y, Nam (2021) State-of-the-Art Technology on MEAs for Interfacing Live Neurons. In: Thakor N.V. (eds) Handbook of Neuroengineering. Springer, Singapore.
  2. N. Hong and Y. Nam*, "Thermoplasmonic neural chip platform for in situ manipulation of neuronal connections in vitro", Nature Communications, 11, Article number: 6313 (2020) 
  3. H. Kang, W. Hong, Y. An, S. Yoo, H. J. Kwon, Y. Nam*, "Thermo-Plasmonic Optical Fiber for Localized Neural Stimulation", ACS Nano 2020;14(9);11406-19.
  4. S. Yoo, JH Park*, Y. Nam*, "Single-Cell Photothermal Neuromodulation for Functional Mapping of Neural Networks" ACS Nano. 2019 Jan 22;13(1):544-551.
  5. H. Kang, GH. Lee, H. Jung, JW Lee, ​​Y. Nam*, "Inkjet-Printed Bio-Functional Thermo-Plasmonic Interfaces for Patterned Neuromodulation", ACS Nano 2018;12(2);1128-38.
  6. J.W. Lee, H. Jung, H.H. Cho, J.H. Lee, Y. Nam*, "Gold nanostar-mediated neural activity control using plasmonic photothermal effects", Biomaterials. 2017 Oct 27.
  7. J.R. Ryu, M. J. Jang, Y. Jo, S. Joo, D.H. Lee, B.Y. Lee, Y. Nam*, W. Sun*,"Synaptic compartmentalization by micropatterned masking of a surface adhesive cue in cultured neurons", Biomaterials 2016 March 19; 92:46-56.
  8. S Yoo, R Kim, JH Park*, Y Nam*, “Electro-optical Neural Platform Integrated with Nanoplasmonic Inhibition Interface”, ACS Nano 2016 Mar 09;10(4);4274-81.
  9. K Kang, Y Park, M Park, MJ Jang, SM Kim, J Lee, JY Choi, DH Jung, YT Chang, MH Yoon*, JS Lee*, Y Nam*, and IS Choi*, "Axon-First Neuritogenesis on Vertical Nanowires", Nano Lett. 2016 Jan 13;16(1);675-80.
  10. K. Kang, S. Joo, J. Y. Choi, S. Geum, S. Hong, S. Lee,Y. H. Kim, S. Kim, M. Yoon, Y. Nam*, K. Lee*, H. Lee*, and I. S. Choi*, "Tissue-based metabolic labeling of polysialic acids in living primary hippocampal neurons," PNAS, 2015 Jan 20;112(3):E241-8.  
  11. S. Yoo, S. Hong, Y. Choi, J. H. Park*, and Y. Nam*, "Photothermal Inhibition of Neural Activity with Near-Infrared-Sensitive Nanotransducers," ACS Nano. 2014 Aug 26;8(8):8040-9.
  12. K. Kang, S. Y. Yoon, S. E. Choi, M. H. Kim, M. Park, Y. Nam*, J.S. Lee*, I.S. Choi*, "Cytoskeletal Actin Dynamics are Involved in Pitch-Dependent Neurite Outgrowth on Bead Monolayers," Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Jun 10;53(24):6075-9.