Hyunji Kim

About

I completed my Ph.D. at the Sports Engineering Lab, Department of Kinesiology, Seoul National University (2021 Sep – 2026 Feb), with a dissertation on deep learning–based VO₂/VCO₂ estimation and fitness assessment for individuals with spinal cord injury, aimed at making self-directed exercise monitoring accessible outside the lab. Before that, my M.S. work examined how shoe conditions shape the biomechanics of recreational runners. I originally trained in chemistry education (B.S., Seoul National University) before moving into human exercise science.

Since July 2026, I've been a Visiting Researcher at the KITE Research Institute, University Health Network (UHN), affiliated with the University of Toronto, and I'll begin a full Postdoctoral Researcher appointment there in October 2026. My work is shifting toward wearable sensing and textile-based wearable systems, with a current focus on heart failure monitoring.

Research

Five threads run through my work — swipe or scroll sideways, each card opens a page with methodology and findings.

🧠

AI & Wearable Sensing for Physiological Monitoring

Deep learning models that estimate physiological signals from wearable sensors alone — from running VO2/VCO2 to, now, cardiac indicators. Continuing at KITE Research Institute (UHN) / University of Toronto with a focus on heart failure monitoring.

Deep learningTextile-based wearable systemsHeart failure monitoringTransfer learning

🦽

Wheelchair & Spinal Cord Injury Biomechanics

Bottom-up classification of wheelchair propulsion strategies and an open-platform ergometer, built to make exercise assessment accessible for people with SCI.

SCIWheelchair propulsionErgometer designFitness standards

🦾

Wearable Soft Robots & Gait Assistance

Evaluation methods and metrics for soft wearable robots that assist walking and grasping, from lab prototypes to field-ready hybrid suits.

Soft exoskeletonGait evaluationHybrid robot suit

🏃

Running Biomechanics & Footwear

How shoe design and running form shape performance and injury risk — including the "super shoes" research featured in national media.

Running economyFootwearInjury risk4D-printed soles

🥽

Extended Reality & Assistive HCI

Studying how adults with cerebral palsy interact in extended reality, toward more accessible, barrier-free digital experiences.

XRCerebral palsyUpper-limb kinematicsBarrier-free design

Publications

Selected Publications

Full List

Experience

Professional Career

• 2026.10 –
  Postdoctoral Researcher, KITE Research Institute, University Health Network (UHN) / University of Toronto

  Incoming · Wearable sensing · Textile-based wearable systems · Heart failure monitoring

  Details

  Formal appointment beginning October 2026, supported by the Canada Leads Program (PI: Dr. Darshan Brahmbhatt). Continuing work on wearable sensing and physiological signal estimation, extended toward textile-integrated wearable systems for heart failure monitoring.

• 2026.7 – 2026.10
  Visiting Researcher, KITE Research Institute, University Health Network (UHN) / University of Toronto

  Wearable sensing · Textile-based wearable systems · Heart failure monitoring

  Details

  SNU Postdoctoral Overseas Visiting Research Fellowship. Transitioning research focus from sports biomechanics toward wearable sensing and textile-based systems for cardiac and heart-failure monitoring, ahead of the formal postdoctoral appointment.

• 2026.3 – 2026.10
  Post-Doctoral Researcher, Robotics Institute (RI), Seoul National University

  Mentoring · Wearable sensors · Sensory feedback · Assistive technology

Research Experience

• 2024.4 – present
  Development of Barrier-Free Experiential XR Content Technology to Improve Accessibility to Online Activities for the Physically Disabled

  Senior Researcher · Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, KR

  Details

  Quantification of needs for barrier-free XR environment usage and wheelchair ergometer personalization for individuals with cerebral palsy and spinal cord injuries. Combines upper-body kinematics, EMG, and machine learning to characterize how users interact with exergame environments, informing more inclusive HCI design. Successfully secured national research project funding.

• 2025.3 – 2025.8
  Developing a Running Pattern Solution for Amateur Runners

  Senior Researcher · Samsung Electronics Co., LTD, KR

  Details

  Developed a mobile application that analyzes running biomechanics from smartphone video alone, using inverse dynamic analysis to flag running-injury risk in amateur runners — aiming to make lab-grade running-form feedback available without dedicated motion-capture hardware.

• 2024.9 – 2025.9
  Health Enhancement Research through Setting Fitness Standards for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and Analysis of Biomechanical Correlations

  Principal Investigator (secured funding solely) · Ministry of Education, KR

  Details

  As sole PI, analyzed the biomechanics of active individuals with spinal cord injury — respiratory response, upper-body kinematics, and inverse dynamics — to develop exercise guidelines and optimize wheelchair use and overall health. Funded as a Humanities and Social Sciences Academic Research Fellow (Type B, Sports Science).

• 2024.7 – present
  Technical Collaboration with Neumafit and Endurorace

  Research Advisor

  Details

  Provide expert consultation on data analysis and interpretation for athlete performance optimization, applying running biomechanics and physiology research to real training programs. Led development and validation of a continuous lactate monitoring system (CLMS) through large-scale lactate measurement experiments in running and cycling.

• 2023.7 – 2024.2
  Deep Learning-Based Aerobic Capacity Estimation in Running (with Neumafit)

  Senior Researcher · Ministry of SMEs and Startups, KR · AI Yangjae HUB Seoul Fellow

  Details

  Developed deep learning algorithms to precisely estimate aerobic capacity indicators (VO2, VCO2) during running from wearable sensor data, working toward field-usable alternatives to lab-based metabolic testing.

• 2023.4 – 2024.4
  Developing Evaluation Methods for Analyzing the Effects of Soft Wearable Robots

  Researcher · Ministry of Health & Welfare, KR

  Details

  Developed quantitative metrics — gait and lower-limb kinematics — for evaluating walking performance with soft wearable gait-assistance robots, supporting national assistive-technology development.

• 2023.1 – 2026.5
  Developing Wearable Soft Robots for Human Performance Augmentation (ERC, 3rd phase)

  Researcher · Ministry of Science and ICT, KR

  Details

  Provided expertise on evaluation methods for walking- and grasping-assistance wearable soft robots as part of a long-running Engineering Research Center program.

• 2021.8 – 2024.8
  4D Printing of Mechanical Meta-Material Footwear Soles for Gait Function Augmentation and Foot Disorder Treatment

  Senior Researcher · Seoul National University, KR

  Details

  Quantified how shoe-sole stiffness differences from meta-structure design affect center of pressure and lower-limb joint angles during walking, targeting mild flatfoot correction — combining footwear engineering, pedobarography, and gait analysis.

• 2021.4 – 2024.12
  Technology Innovation Program: Development of Safe and Comfortable Human Augmentation Hybrid Robot Suit

  Senior Researcher · Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KR

  Details

  Analyzed motion patterns, energy efficiency, and joint loads of an innovative prototype exoskeleton-assisted shoe using motion capture, metabolic systems, and musculoskeletal simulation.

• 2020 – 2021
  Development of a Human-Centered Personal Protective Suit for Disaster Preparedness

  Researcher · Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KR

  Details

  Quantified how weight distribution in protective suits affects energy expenditure and analyzed gear-design tradeoffs in simulated disaster-response scenarios, informing more wearable protective equipment for first responders.

• 2019 – 2020
  Developing Compression Wear That Augments Human Motor Performance by Tactile Feedback

  Researcher · Seoul National University, KR

  Details

  Verified how tactile-feedback compression-wear patterns influence gait, with a focus on ankle-angle changes — early work that shaped my interest in wearable sensory feedback systems.

• 2019 – 2020
  Effects of Chewing Gum on Exercise Efficiency and the Body

  Collaborator · LOTTE Co, KR

  Details

  Compared how masticatory (chewing) action affects rhythm patterns and muscle activation during cycling, published as a randomized crossover study in collaboration with LOTTE.

• 2019
  Development of CROSS-MAST Training Program

  Researcher · MAST Co, KR

  Details

  Analyzed muscle-activation differences across adjustable resistance profiles on CROSS-MAST, a precision-controlled dual-cable machine, and produced a comprehensive exercise report for the system.

Grants & Fellowships

• Canada Leads Program Funding (250,000 CAD, 2 years), University Health Network (UHN), Canada, 2026–2028 (pending formal appointment; PI: Dr. Darshan Brahmbhatt)
• SNU Postdoctoral Overseas Visiting Research Fellowship (15M KRW) — Visiting researcher at the University Health Network (UHN), Canada, 2026
• NRF PhD Fellowship (20M KRW) — Humanities and social sciences academic research fellow (Type B, Sports science), 2024–2025

Patents

• (Patent pending) H. Kim, B. Lee, J. Ahn. "Exercise Load Measurement and Control Apparatus, System, and Method for a Wheelchair Ergometer," Korean Patent Application No. 10-2026-0104472, 2026.

Awards, Honors & Scholarship

• The Best Presentation Award — Conference of Korean Alliance of Martial Arts, 2026
• The Best Presentation Award — International Conference of Korean Society of Sport Biomechanics, 2024
• EMBS NextGen Scholar Award — Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2024
• BK21 Outstanding Researcher Awards, Seoul National University, 2021
• BK21 Research Scholarship, Seoul National University, 2020-2025
• The Best Presentation Award — International Conference of Korean Society of Sport Biomechanics – Korean Society of Biomechanics, 2023
• The Best Poster Presentation Award — International Conference of Korean Society of Sport Biomechanics – Korean Society of Biomechanics, 2022
• Excellent Presentation Award — International Conference of Korean Society of Sport Biomechanics, 2021
• Teaching Assistant Scholarship (Assistance for Prof.Jooeun Ahn), Seoul National University, 2019

Media & Public Engagement

2026.05 · 안될과학 Unrealscience

마라톤 세계 신기록, 정말 장비빨일까? 내가 슈퍼슈즈를 신으면 일어나는 일!

Super shoesMarathon performanceRunning biomechanics

2024.08 · 엔듀로레이스 ENDURORACE

달리기 실력을 바꿀 수 있는 한 가지! 러닝 이코노미 (Running Economy)

Running economyRunning performance

2024.08 · 엔듀로레이스 ENDURORACE

러닝 수준을 좌우하는 러닝 3대 지표, 제대로 알고 계신가요? - VO2max, 러닝 이코노미, 젖산 역치

VO2maxRunning economyLactate threshold

Skills

Contact

Sports Engineering Lab, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

KITE Institute (UHN), University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

hyunji94@snu.ac.kr

Daily Log