He joined CTM as a project student in his fifth year at medical school and started Ph.D. research a year later, even before he graduated. As a second-year Ph.D. student, he assists other students in their research as a Science Methodology Supervisor. In September, Jimin Lee was named SMS of the Month at the Centre for Translational Medicine.
From the beginning of his medical studies at Semmelweis University, Jimin Lee was captivated by the potential of research to drive science into healthcare. The idea of discovering something new and integrating it into practice excited him, so he contacted various departments to get involved in their research. Despite his efforts, no opportunities were available, and he was close to give it up. “However, in my fourth year, during an internal medicine practice, Prof. Peter Hegyi delivered a compelling lecture on the diagnosis and management of acute pancreatitis. At the end of the lecture, he introduced the CTM program, offering students the chance to engage in meaningful research projects.”
In his fifth year, Dr. Lee joined CTM as a project student and started his academic work. “I had the privilege of collaborating with Monika Lipp, which led to my co-authorship of a systematic review and meta-analysis. In our study, we investigated the role of fatty pancreas as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. We evaluated the records of 2956 patients.” During his sixth year, Dr. Lee took on the dual challenge of conducting his first year of Ph.D. studies while completing his final year of medical school. After graduating, he continued his research. Currently, he is a 2nd-year Ph.D. student and serves as an SMS for 11 students in three different groups. “I have two students from the Dentistry Group, four from Gastroenterology and four from the Miscellaneous Group. My responsibility is to guide students step-by-step, ensuring that research protocols are closely followed. Managing 11 projects while continuing my own research has been challenging, but with proper time management and prioritization, it has been a rewarding experience. Being an SMS is more than I initially expected, but I am confident that the efforts invested will not only support my students’ careers, but also contribute to healthcare with 11 innovative studies.”
Dr. Lee is also making good progress in his own research. His thesis is about the relationship of acute pancreatitis and cancer, and involves two ongoing projects. The first one is a systematic review and meta-analysis, while the second is a registry analysis.“My first project aims to raise awareness of acute pancreatitis as a potential predictor of pancreatic cancer. It is important, because pancreatic cancer is a potentially deadly disease, largely due to the lack of early detection methods, resulting in late-stage diagnoses. My analysis revealed a strong association between acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, although the causal relationship remains unclear. Further prospective research is needed to determine whether acute pancreatitis precedes pancreatic cancer or vice versa.” In his second project, Dr. Lee is analyzing data from an acute pancreatitis registry of approximately 4,200 patients to examine how pre-existing malignant tumors influence acute pancreatitis outcomes such as local complications, mortality, and organ failure. Identifying such associations could enhance screening efforts for malignancies in acute pancreatitis patients and improve the management of potential complications.
(Szabó Emese)