Each year the POSCO TJ Park Foundation, established by a Korean multinational steel-making company, POSCO, in 1971, selects and supports young scientists including post-graduate students in Korea to foster creative research in basic sciences.

This award, the TJ Park Science Fellowship, is annually presented to approximately 30 scientists in five areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, and convergence study and offers each awardee with a total of 70,000 USD research grant for two-three years.

Seokjoo Chae was one of the 32 recipients of the TJ Park Science Fellowship 2017, the Foundation announced on October 11, 2017.

Seokjoo Chae, a doctoral student of Professor Jae Kyoung Kim, works in mathematical biology. He proposed research on the relation between p53 protein and circadian rhythm. The p53 protein is well-known as a tumor suppressor protein. As the circadian clock regulates the 24-hr period, the amount of p53 protein is also controlled. Thus, if the circadian clock malfunctions, one is more likely to get cancer. However, it is not well understood how p53 protein and circadian clock interact. Seokjoo Chae’s study is to understand the mechanism through mathematical modeling. On the other hand, as the amount of substances change dynamically, it is impossible to assume Quasi-steady state to make simulations efficient. To develop a new approximation tool to solve this difficulty is his another goal.