Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Medical Center’s The 10th Hallym-Columbia-Weill Cornell-NYP International Symposium was held very successfully at Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital on Nov. 13, 2013.

Under the theme of “Prematurity: The Unmet Challenge,” medical scholars from Hallym University College of Medicine and Weill Cornell Medical College shared their best practice to effectively tackle preterm birth in which over 1.1 million out of 15 million premature babies lost their lives globally every year.

The symposium was comprised of three sessions and 10 lectures all dealt with prematurity ranging from cervical insufficiency to preventing preterm birth.

From Weill Cornell Medical College, four speakers including Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Chairman of Ob/Gyn, Dr. Amos Grunebaum, Dr. Steven Witkin and Dr. Shari Gelber participated in the grant event in addition to four Hallym Ob/Gyn doctors including Dr. Keun-Young Lee, Professor of Ob/Gyn.

Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Chairman of Dept. of Obstetrics & Gynecology in Weill Cornell Medical College has invited Dr. Keun-Young Lee to give lectures at Weill Cornell Medical College in January 2014. It is expected that a joint research could be carried out in the future.

The specific programs including topics and speakers are as follows:

■ Session 1
1. Ethical: An Essential Dimension of the Clinical Management and Research of Prematurity
(Frank A. Chervenak, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College)
2. Cervical Insufficiency: The Obstetrical Issues
(Keun-Young Lee, MD, PhD, Hallym University College of Medicine)
3. Preventing Premature Delivery: State of the Art
(Amos Grunebaum, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College)
4. Viability and Survival of the Preemies: What's Going on after Birth?
(Tae-Jung Sung, MD, PhD, Hallym University College of Medicine)

■ Session 2
1. The Vaginal Microbiome, Concentration of Host Factors in the Genital Tract and Susceptibility to Disease
(Steven S. Witkin, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College)
2. Korean Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial of Prematurity
(Young Ju Kim, MD, PhD, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine)
3. Progesterone Action in Inhibiting Prematurity
(Ho Yeon Kim, MD, Hallym University College of Medicine)

■ Session 3
1. New Approaches to the Prevention of Iatrogenic Preterm Birth
(Shari Gelber, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College)
2. Postnatal Growth and Development of Twin Pregnancy according to Zygosity
(Jong Kwan Jun, MD, PhD, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
Biomarkers in Cervical Insufficiency: Our Way to Go
(Ji-Eun Song, MD, Hallym University College of Medicine)

Since Hallym signed an affiliation agreement with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2002, it has sealed an affiliation agreement with Weill Cornell Medical College and New York-Presbyterian Hospital in 2004.

Hallym, Columbia, Weill Cornell and NYP have jointly organized a series of annual international symposiums in Korea and U.S. to share best medical expertise as well as deepen the two institution’s ties.

Hallym has been working closely with the U.S. top medical institutions in terms of joint academic symposium, faculty exchange and student exchange.

By Miju Kim, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (miju@hallym.or.kr)