SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Background

Dr. Soon-Tae Lee serves as a Professor of Neurology at Seoul National University Hospital, with a primary focus on autoimmune neurology. His dedication lies in developing novel treatments for autoimmune encephalitis (AE) and leading clinical and translational studies utilizing innovative immunotherapeutic agents tailored for this condition. He also operates the sole antibody diagnostic lab for autoimmune encephalitis in Korea. Despite the rapid advancements in AE treatments, many patients still exhibit poor responses to current immunotherapies, resulting in significant long-term disease burdens. To address this, his research focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind treatment refractoriness and conducting clinical trials with novel immunotherapeutic agents. He has published over 350 SCI papers, with an h-index of 70. His key contributions include the following: • The development and validation of the Clinical Assessment Scale in Autoimmune Encephalitis (CASE score) • The implementation of tocilizumab in AE/NORSE treatment protocols • The characterization of seronegative AE, MOG antibody-associated encephalitis (MOGAE), and cryptogenic NORSE • The discovery of HLA-association in LGI1 encephalitis • The prospective clinical trial of IVIG in autoimmune encephalitis, leading to its approval as an indication for AE in Korea • The identification of anti-CaVα2δ antibody in AE