Dong-A’s ‘Doctor Helicopter’ campaign spreads also in U.S.

The Dong-A Ilbo-led campaign with a translated title of “Doctor Helicopter for Saving Life” is gaining awareness across the United States. Professor Lee Jin-Hyung of the Medical School at Stanford University on Saturday uploaded a video of researchers and herself joining the so-called resuscitation campaign on the campus on her personal social media account. It was the first case that participated in the campaign in the United States.

The video shows Lee, the first-ever Korean female tenured professor at Stanford, saying “The sound of doctor helicopters is life. Doctor Helicopter is life” and shouting with her colleagues “Go, resuscitation.” Following her, the researchers around her shouted “Doctor Helicopter is life” and burst balloons in their hands.

The medical professor said in a telephone interview with the Dong-A Ilbo that she joined the campaign being promoted across Korea as she agrees on its purposes. Her colleagues in the United States showed a deep interest when she introduced the campaign to them and they were willing to chip in, according to the professor. It is normal that people do not raise noise complaints over ambulances and emergency helicopters but rather cooperate on their rescue dispatch.

Lee, as an electronic engineering major, is the first who proposed the idea of treating brain circuits just as fixing those in semiconductors in brain disease research. She devised a neural cell map and proved pre-diagnosis and curability of brain disease. Her studies have earned great attention among researchers on medicine for uncurable diseases such as dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

“I hope to see more people in Silicon Valley engage in the campaign,” the professor said. She designated CEO Lee Jin of Avellino as the next participant. The Silicon Valley-based company is specialized in genetic diagnosis and big data.


Jin-Han Lee likeday@donga.com