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The IUPAC was founded in 1919, and is the oldest and biggest academic group in the world, with around 300,000 members from 61 countries. This is the first time an international chemistry competition was held in Korea, and the second time in Asia after China. Around 3,000 chemistry experts from 76 countries participated in the recent IUPAC International Chemistry Competition held at BEXCO, in Busan.

Jinkeong Lee presented the results of a physical chemistry study on the area that is the cause of cancer in the G-quadruplex of a chromosome, and three cyclic naphthalene dimides that can be anti-cancer agents in that area. As a member of the lab led by Professor Shi-hyun Ham, Lee used computer simulation to predict which of the candidate molecules would have the strongest anti-cancer effects, and revealed the location where the molecules would combine and activate.

Lee reached these results in just five months, after starting research on the subject in March, when she first joined graduate school. Therefore, there is a lot of interest in how she is already standing shoulder in shoulder with international scholars of chemistry. Lee worked at Professor Ham’s laboratory in college, and entered the graduate school in March.

When asked about her secret to winning, Lee said, “My professor provided me with a lot of advice and consideration throughout the process until I could present in front of many scholars of chemistry at a big, international competition like IUPAC, and my university provided me with a lot of support. I could not have done it without this support,” and revealed her determination, saying, “I will continue to study faithfully and become a skilled scholar of chemistry.”
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