On the 10th, when a heatwave warning was issued across the country, the first thing that caught my eye upon entering the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) campus in Daejeon was a pond nestled among the green grass. Upon closer inspection, I found a person sitting under the shade of a tree, where the famous geese of KAIST were gathered to escape the heat. That person was Heo Won, a distinguished professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at KAIST.
Professor Heo was continuously calling out, "Come here, come here," while distributing food to the geese. Twelve fully grown geese and three goslings surrounded him, eating the food he provided. Professor Heo noted, "In fact, I don't need to prepare food for them separately in the summer, but I come down often to check on them to see if they are doing well."
Professor Heo is the second 'goose dad' at KAIST. Lee Kwang-hyung, the president of KAIST, brought geese to the pond in 2001 and took on the role of the first goose dad, and Professor Heo inherited the title about five years ago. He explained, "There are various animals on the campus, not just geese and ducks, but also pigeons and cats. I have been feeding the geese since about 10 years ago," adding, "About five years ago, President Lee told me to inherit the title of goose dad, and now everyone comes to me first if something happens to the geese."
Professor Heo is a leading scholar in the field of optogenetics in Korea, which regulates nerve cells with light. Karl Deisseroth, a professor of biotechnology and psychiatry at Stanford University, is mentioned yearly as a candidate for the Nobel Prize for pioneering research in optogenetics. Professor Deisseroth discovered light-sensitive opsin proteins in marine green algae. By implanting the gene that produces this protein into animal nerve cells, neural activity can be controlled by light signals.
In 2015, Professor Heo developed 'OptoSTIM1,' an optogenetics tool that regulates protein activity, in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science, marking the world's first achievement. He explained, "When you shine light on the cells, signaling between cells gets activated, allowing control of all cellular processes such as division and movement." He was recognized for this contribution and received the 'Scientist of the Month' award in 2017. Last year, he was also selected as a recipient of the Kyungam Award and featured among KAIST's top 10 research achievements.
Professor Heo explained that his passion for animal care, which led him to become the goose dad, stemmed from his childhood dream. His dream as a child was to raise animals. Growing up in a rural area gave him ample opportunities to interact with various animals. He even raised rare birds like the golden pheasant, which are hard to find in the countryside.
He said, "I really love animals, so I took care of them during high school," noting, "I raised poultry for three years in high school." His experience caring for various types of poultry laid the foundation for becoming the goose dad.
When Professor Heo decided to go to college, he shifted his career path. Instead of focusing on animal husbandry, he entered the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Gyeongsang National University to study biological sciences. After graduating from Gyeongsang National University, he pursued graduate studies, earning his master's and doctoral degrees. He completed postdoctoral research at Duke University and Stanford University and joined the faculty at KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences in 2008, pioneering the field of optogenetics.
Professor Heo stated that his research in optogenetics and caring for geese are not completely different endeavors. He explained, "When you take care of geese, you can tell that they remember precisely who feeds them and who threatens them," adding, "Within a flock of geese, some birds may feel isolated, and the process of remembering something and feeling loneliness connects directly to my research area."
Professor Heo is searching for methods to activate or inhibit nerve cells in the brain using optogenetics. In fact, after shining light on the brains of mice with the OptoSTIM1 technology he developed, he confirmed the generation of new nerve cells.
Professor Heo noted, "When new nerve cells are generated, it can regenerate damaged neural circuits, potentially curing conditions like depression and Parkinson's disease," adding, "If neurons arise in the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, it could enhance memory, making the mice smarter." He emphasized, "Biological science is fundamentally a field where research cannot proceed without understanding life phenomena," stating that his interest in animals and life provides the motivation to continue his research.