Sung-A Kim (Sophia) joins us from Kyung Hee University in South Korea. She is a doctoral student and a board-certified Korean Medicine doctor.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I worked in the Korean Medicine Hospital of Kyung Hee University for about 4 years from March 2020 to February 2024 as an intern and resident doctor in the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. As part of my training, I worked in the Spine and Articulation Center (the center for patients with musculoskeletal pain) and experienced many patients with chronic pain. Though many patients with chronic pain come to the Center and we treated them well, fibromyalgia is different. Fibromyalgia patients (especially poor responders) were a challenge for us; patient symptoms were not being alleviated well and the response to treatment was low in clinical practice. In addition, these patients were not properly diagnosed, so that most of them faced visits to several hospitals without getting better. This led to my strong research interests in fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain, especially its underlying mechanisms, diagnostic challenges, patient experiences and psychosocial factors.
What will you be investigating while you are in Aberdeen?
At University of Aberdeen I will be working on the PAtient-centred Care for Fibromyalgia: New pathway Design (PACFiND) study, which seeks to develop a new model of care for people with fibromyalgia by identifying what better care for patients with fibromyalgia looks like. I will also be working with UK Biobank data; learning how to use big data to find insights on patients with fibromyalgia. I love the defined and clinically meaningful research questions of the Epidemiology group at the University of Aberdeen, and I am excited to be part of the group, and looking forward to having great time with lovely research colleagues!
Why did you choose Aberdeen?
To further understand fibromyalgia, I wish to study the disease from an epidemiological perspective. As fibromyalgia is complex and accompanied by numerous comorbidities, I aim to research it comprehensively by participating in the PACFiND project and researching UK Biobank data; both of which I have the opportunity to do as part of the team here in Aberdeen. I love the vibrant research atmosphere of Epidemiology group and want to share experiences together with the team here.
Are you involved in any other research?
I am still involved in several research projects in South Korea, including projects looking at the the safety of acupuncture, the effectiveness of acupuncture for various symptoms, and analysis of real-world data (RWD) in Korean medicine. As I am currently a doctoral student in clinical Korean medicine and am also preparing my PhD thesis too. My PhD consists of two parts; one is a prospective case series, and the other is a pilot randomised controlled trial. Both will focus on patients complaining of COVID-19 sequelae, especially fatigue. With my experience in the Epidemiology group, I hope to be able to learn multidisciplinary fields and to broaden my research area by combining studies of disease and intervention.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy hiking in the mountains and traveling around the world. This year, I hope to hike several mountains in the Scottish Highlands, and to travel around North Europe. I also love to spend time reading books - as my house is close to the Sir Duncan Rice Library, you might be able to find me there on weekends!