One of the three co-winners of this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, William Kaelin, has come to Korea to meet with researchers at the Institute of Basic Science.
His advice to young scientists highlighted the importance of finding what to work on, or deciding "where to fish."
Kan Hyeong-woo has the story.
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists last month for their findings on how human cells react to oxygen levels changing.
One of the three co-winners, William Kaelin, came to South Korea to share his discovery on defining the molecular pathway... that cells use to sense whether they are getting enough oxygen information cells use to adapt.
"We also know that certain cancers rely on this pathway and so we also have new drugs being developed that basically prevent cancer cells from using this pathway for their own evil purposes."
Kaelin also had a word of advice for young scientists during his visit to Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology on Tuesday.
"When I was a young boy, my father liked to fish. And I learned that one of the most important decisions a fisherman makes is where to fish. And likewise, when you are a scientist, one of the most important decisions you make is what to work on..."
Kaelin later in the day held a meeting with researchers at the Center for Genomic Integrity of Korea's Institute for Basic Science for potential joint studies in the future.
"Here at the Center for Genomic Integrity, researchers are trying to find out more about how the molecular mechanisms of DNA replication, repair and recombination work and discover answers to the origins of aging, cancer and evolution."
The Nobel Prize winner said both his lab in the U.S. and Korea's Center for Genomic Integrity can learn from each other's research... because they share the goal of improving human lives by curing diseases.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News, Ulsan.