Research Area: Neuroscience and Genetics

Location: Seoul, South Korea

Shin has obtained an MD degree from Seoul National University Medical College in 1974 and a PhD degree on genetics and cell biology from Cornell University Medical College in 1983. He taught at MIT in USA and POSTECH in Korea. He was Director of Brain Science Institute, KIST, and then Director of Center for Cognition and Sociality, IBS. After stepping down from the directorship of Center for Cognition and Sociality, he continues his research as an Honorary Fellow of IBS.

Since mid-90’s his group has been using molecular genetics to study neural mechanisms for animal behaviors, primarily focusing on the role of the thalamus in normal and diseased brains. His approach was by elucidating the physiological consequences of deranged regulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels in brain cells. Three groups of genes were targeted: voltage-gated Ca2+ channels for Ca2+ entry into cells, phospholipase Cbeta enzymes for Ca2+ release from internal stores upon activation of metabotropic receptors, and Na+/Ca2+ exchangers driving Ca2+ out to restore the resting Ca2+ level.

Beginning in 2010 his research interest has evolved to neurobiology of social behaviors. He has pioneered to establish a behavioral paradigm, observational fear learning in mice, a rodent model for emotional contagion which is considered to be the basic form of affective empathy. This mouse model allowed, for the first time, to study affective empathy at the molecular and cellular levels. Owing to this animal model, he has been able to define genes, circuits, and brain rhythms that control empathy behavior.

Web: http://www.ibs.re.kr/ccs