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How Becoming a Cat Guardian Changed My Perspective as a Researcher
Hocheol Shin, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences
My Path as a Researcher
I studied biological sciences at KAIST and earned my Ph. D. through research on cancer vaccines.
After completing my doctoral training, I continued my research in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on anticancer drug development. Much of my work has centered on therapeutic strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment.
A tumor is not made up of cancer cells alone.
It is surrounded by various cell types, extracellular matrix components, and a complex network of cytokines and chemokines. Together, these elements form what we call the tumor microenvironment.
Within this environment, I developed and studied vaccines targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).
Through this work, I came to understand disease not as the result of a single factor, but as something shaped by a complex and dynamic biological environment.
For many years, I thought deeply about how to overcome cancer.
Then one day, that same question returned to me from a completely different direction.
The Day I Met Deoksu
It was in 2019.
I heard a small, faint cry coming from a street corner. There, I found a tiny kitten who had been abandoned by her mother, with her eyes covered in discharge.
I took her in and brought her to a veterinarian. Thankfully, she survived.
In Korea, there is an old saying that pets with old-fashioned names tend to live longer. So I named her “Deoksu,” hoping we would share a long life together.
Later, I found out that Deoksu was female.
But by then, her name had already been chosen. Even today, Deoksu carries that name proudly.
Although she came from the streets, Deoksu has a surprisingly picky palate. Among human foods, the only thing she likes is lettuce.
She is also timid. When she meets someone unfamiliar, she gets scared and shows her belly first.
That is the kind of cat she is.
When My Questions Began Again
Just as we had settled into a peaceful life together, Deoksu suddenly began showing signs of discomfort in the litter box.
She had bladder stones.
Watching the veterinarian insert a catheter, seeing bloody urine being drained, and later looking at the sharp stones removed through surgery was painful.
After that experience, I naturally began searching for more information about feline diseases.
Because of my background in biological sciences, I was able to read and interpret research papers directly.
And the more I read, the clearer one thing became.
In some areas of feline medicine, treatment options remain limited compared to human healthcare, reflecting how much more research and development is still needed.
This is not because they are ideal treatments.
In many cases, it reflects the reality that there are not enough options.
I began to recognize a much larger gap than I had expected between the world I knew as a researcher and the reality I faced as a cat guardian.
I Realized Something Was Missing
Deoksu had stayed by my side throughout the years I spent pursuing my degree.
The thought that one day she might face a difficult situation simply because there were not enough treatment options made me deeply upset.
Once that thought entered my mind, I could not remain still as a researcher.
A tremendous amount of resources and talent are invested in developing medicines for humans.
But research into therapeutics for companion animals, including cats, still has many areas that need to grow.
I believe cats deserve more research-driven options.
Why I Joined Greycoat Research
That is why I joined Greycoat Research.
Through my work on the tumor microenvironment, I learned that visible problems are rarely the whole problem.
To truly approach disease, we need to understand the surrounding environment and look at the more fundamental processes behind it.
I wanted to bring that same perspective into feline health research.
This is still only a small beginning.
But I hope to move beyond simply responding to disease after it appears.
I want to help build an approach that also considers the environment in which disease develops, the biological processes behind it, and the long-term care that cats may need throughout their lives.
What I Hope to Do Next
Personally, I hope Deoksu can live a very long and healthy life — perhaps even long enough to challenge the Guinness World Record one day.
It may sound like an ambitious goal.
But I wanted to allow myself to imagine it.
And I hope that many more cats will one day be able to challenge Deoksu’s record.
I hope your cat could be one of them, too.
So that cats can live longer, healthier lives, I will continue doing what I can as a researcher.
About the AuthorHocheol Shin, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences
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