In a society of engineering and research sciences where medical technology is being prioritized, Korea University (KU) graduate Erick Chica (18’, Electrical Engineering) has shown that advancements in these fields are of utter importance for revolutionizing the future of Korea’s workforce. In December 2021, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) offered Chica a research position in one of its prominent research laboratories, which he will assume in March. His acceptance has shown progress and advancement for scientific outputs in the engineering research fields.

About Erick Chica

After receiving his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at KU, Chica has started studying for his master’s degree under the same major at KAIST. As a student in KU, he worked as a researcher and laboratory assistant for Professor Kim Yong-sin’s (Department of Electrical Engineering) laboratory of Optimal Analysis & Solutions for Integrated Systems, which is dedicated to researching digital circuit designs for semiconductors. During his time there, Chica helped develop a monitoring system for machine fault detection for the laboratory. Due to his achievements in both grades and laboratory research, he received admission offers at KAIST. His upcoming position as a student researcher at the Brain/bio-Medical Microsystems Laboratory is of great interest due to the laboratory’s research into medical devices.

GT: What was your motivation to pursue scientific research in South Korea?

Chica: South Korea is one of leading countries within the electronics field and innovation, with globally renowned brands such as Samsung and SK Hynix. The country is widely known for constantly producing high-quality papers in high-impact factor journals around the world. These traits, in conjunction with the high standards and hard-working atmosphere within the work setting, as well as the financial support given to researchers, made me think of South Korea as the most ideal place to settle to further my studies.

GT: Do you see a positive future for underrepresented foreigners in the engineering and research fields of South Korea?

Chica: Unfortunately, the ongoing pandemic has slowed the rate of growth of foreign talent in South Korea. Although the national government is striving to recruit foreigners by means of scholarship opportunities, study abroad programs have seen a steady decline. However, once these obstacles are overcome, I expect foreign talent to increase. This is because of the opportunities the country offers to the expat population such as a plethora of Korean language, culture, and history courses to help the expat transition into the society, scholarships and funding from various sources throughout different fields of education and, lastly, an inviting academic environment.

GT: What are the promising aspects and future of the laboratory that you worked in at KU, and the upcoming one at KAIST?

Chica: The laboratory I interned at had a focus of developing integrated circuits (ICs), particularly power management, sensors, and human-machine interface systems. All of the above topics play a key role in the development of new technologies. It is thanks to research and development (R&D) in this area that we are now able to make big leaps in technology. In the KAIST’s laboratory, I expect to be focusing on the development of epidermal sensors, specifically ultra-thin and flexible electronics for the monitoring of physiological signals in real-time. At present, given the current situation as a result of the on-going pandemic, there has been a surge of interest in the design and research of biomedical devices. In particular, devices that allow individuals to monitor their own vitals.

Thus, given that current consumer-level devices often lack accuracy and are invasive in nature, research is conducted in order to minimize these disadvantages. Another research area has to do with neural stimulation, flexible electrodes and neural probes. Through investigation into this area, there is hope that we will be able to utilize neural circuits to modulate our brains. For example, we could use a stimulation tool to activate or deactivate a neural circuit to treat degenerative brain disorders such as Parkinson disease, depression, or sleep disorders.

GT: What are the types of research publications that you are aiming to investigate?

Chica: My aim is to be able to publish several papers over the course of doing my research paper in many high-impact journals. With that being said, as is the case with most engineering problems, current work on brain stimulation includes several trade-offs. The most important of them is spatial resolution versus clinical applicability. If we are interested in stimulating a small area with high accuracy, the method to be used has to be invasive. In order to be able to stimulate the brain non-invasively, research has to be carried out to be able to target deep brain structures and areas with high resolution. One approach to this is the use of ultrasound modulation, which is of interest for me. Hence, carrying out research on how to overcome challenges, such as penetrating the skull barrier or accuracy of targeting, is of interest to me.

GT: What is your advice for students trying to pursue research in graduate school? Are there any specific qualities that define an engineer researcher?

Chica: The most important piece of advice I can give to aspiring researchers is to try and find internships either from their own universities or a different one. Because although classes are a core part of the development of an engineer, the experience acquired through hands-on work at an internship possesses great value that is vastly worthwhile when applying to graduate schools or jobs. Moreover, having an early rough idea on the kind of research one would like to partake in in the future is key as well, especially during the early stages of college.

Lastly, never give up. Sometimes, students and professors’ fields of interest do not always overlap, so it is not uncommon for universities and professors to hand out rejections. This should serve as motivation to keep on improving one’s qualifications, and it may even open the doors to other schools, laboratories, or maybe even countries that one has not considered before.