Hyun Jee Lim

Hyun Jee’s interest in sensor mechanics and neuroscience started when she saw children at a local hospital suffering from epilepsy with sensors plugged directly into the brain. She wished to develop technology that could detect the origin of patients’ disease in a less invasive way. Her great passion in physics gave her motivation to think about using integrated technology and solving medical problems by investigating mechanical origins. During high school she worked at a nanotechnology lab to model electric sensors that could detect small scale movements by resistance change. With development, these sensors could be used to monitor movements of patients’ heart and brain. In her junior year, she conducted research on mechanical causes that form natural patterns like brain folds and mud cracks. She was named top 300 scholar of the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) for her paper “Crack Morphogenesis Induced by Drying Shrinkage”. Hyun Jee wishes to continue research at Columbia to find out causes of brain diseases and help young patients.

Hyun Jee was also founder of Physics Club and participated in the Virginia Science Olympiad during all four years of high school. She was also named semifinalist of the ACS Chemistry Olympiad. She worked as Maroon Mentor and Learning Center tutor to help younger students develop their interest in STEM.

In her free time, Hyun Jee likes to take photos and worked as editor and photographer of the school yearbook. She also enjoys playing her oboe.