Professor Byung-hoon Kim, a psychiatrist at Gangnam Severance Hospital, is combining his expertise in mental health and AI to help patients recover from musculoskeletal disorders. His work bridges the gap between clinical psychiatry and artificial intelligence, as he continues to treat patients while contributing to innovative healthcare technology.
Kim’s interest in AI began during his medical training when he was exposed to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This technique, which measures brain activity through changes in blood flow, sparked his desire to explore AI further. To deepen his knowledge, he earned a master’s degree in medicine and later pursued a PhD in engineering at KAIST, focusing on medical imaging. Reflecting on his early experiences, Kim described the challenge of understanding the complex field, likening it to “touching an elephant with my eyes closed.”
His research led him to rehabilitation medicine, where he became involved with EverEx, a healthcare startup co-founded by orthopedic surgeon CEO Yoon Chan. Together, they developed MORA, a digital solution aimed at assisting the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. MORA includes a range of products such as MORA Vu, which is approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The device uses AI-based posture estimation technology to monitor patient movements via a smartphone camera, assessing posture and joint range of motion (ROM). It also tracks exercise performance and pain levels, allowing healthcare providers to monitor progress and offer feedback.
As the AI specialist for the MORA project, Kim played a key role in developing the algorithms behind the system. While he remains focused on AI for rehabilitation, he also envisions expanding its application to mental healthcare, recognizing that the potential for AI in psychiatry is significant.
In an interview, Kim explained how his background in psychiatry has influenced his work in rehabilitation technology. He emphasized that pain often has psychological components, with many patients experiencing conditions like depression and anxiety alongside physical pain. This understanding led to the integration of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) elements into MORA’s platform. Kim believes that technological advancements, such as AI-driven language models and computer vision, could eventually transform mental health care as well. For example, AI could analyze facial expressions, posture, and conversation patterns during psychiatric interviews to detect psychological cues.
Kim is also passionate about fostering future physician-scientists. In 2023 and 2024, he organized a “Physician Developer Boot Camp” in collaboration with Yonsei University College of Medicine. The program encourages medical students to explore AI and technology development. He was impressed by the students’ ability to turn ideas into prototypes and noted a growing interest among medical students in tech-driven healthcare solutions.
Looking ahead, Kim stresses the importance of creating an educational environment that exposes students to diverse career paths. While many still follow the traditional route of internship and residency, he believes students should also be encouraged to explore interdisciplinary fields. He advocates for more policy support, particularly small grants for early-stage researchers and students, as the current funding system tends to favor large-scale projects. A flexible approach to support would help foster innovation in healthcare research.
Through his pioneering work in AI and rehabilitation, Professor Kim is helping shape the future of both physical and mental healthcare.
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