I worked on scientific research, helping solve a problem my local coastal communities in Jeju were facing: the blooms of Sargassum horneri, an invasive seaweed. I pursued research on how the antioxidative properties of S. horneri could be harnessed to alleviate neurodegeneration induced by sustained alcohol exposure. I sought to explore how S. horneri could be repurposed for pharmaceutical applications and how neurodegenerative diseases could be alleviated, drawing inspiration from my grandma, who suffers from dementia.

 

Tiny spiders called ‘Jeju-Cave-baby-spider’ are an endemic species in lava caves of Jeju, South Korea. As a member of the environmental club, I evaluated the extinction risk of the species in accordance with the IUCN Red List Assessment standards to protect the species from extinction.