Skin at the Human–Environment Interface:
From Stress Responses to Regeneration and Protection

Happy New Year, and I wish you a healthy and fulfilling 2026. On behalf of the Institute of Human–Environment Interface Biology (IHEIB), I am delighted to invite you to the 17th IHEIB Symposium on February 21, 2026, at the Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital.

This year's theme—"Skin at the Human–Environment Interface: From Stress Responses to Regeneration and Protection"—explores how the skin integrates diverse environmental signals, from light and climate to microbes, allergens, and psychological stress, and how these exposures shape immunity, aging, pigmentation, and repair.

We are honored to welcome distinguished international speakers: Dr. Carlos Clavel from A*STAR Skin Research Labs in Singapore, Dr. Ling-Juan Zhang from Xiamen University in China, Dr. Brian C. Capell from the University of Pennsylvania in the USA, and Dr. Cheng-Che E. Lan from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan, alongside outstanding Korean colleagues and session chairs.

Our carefully curated program spans stress and immune biology, stem-cell–driven regeneration, dermal fat biology, epigenetic regulation, and emerging single-cell and AI approaches, with the goal of fostering new cross-disciplinary connections and accelerating translation from fundamental mechanisms to clinical strategies.

We warmly welcome your participation and active discussion, and we look forward to an inspiring day of science and collaboration in Seoul.