About

Seonyoung (Seon) Youn is a professor, interdisciplinary researcher, and designer based at Dongguk University, Seoul Campus. Her research lies at the intersection of textile science, textile technology, and wearable technology, with a focus on robotic textiles and soft wearable systems for health. She develops garment-embedded sensors, robotic yarns and knits, and digital technology frameworks to advance inclusive, sustainable, and human-centered design.

Youn holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons The New School, an MS in Textile Science from Seoul National University, a PhD in Fiber and Polymer Science from North Carolina State University, and was a postdoctoral associate at the Hybrid Body Lab at Cornell University. Beyond academia, Youn has over five years of industry experience, having worked as a researcher at KOTITI Testing & Research Institute, as an assistant manager at the Korea Textile Trade Association (KTTA) in South Korea, and as a design intern at Uniqlo’s headquarters in Japan.

She is in the process of establishing the TexHEART Lab (Textile • Health • Robotic • Technology), which will focus on developing robotic and textile-based wearable technologies that enhance health, well-being, and sustainability.

Under Review

  • August 2025 Conference paper submission (HCI / Soft Robotics)

    Programmable knit-based yarn actuators for shape-changing textiles

    Keywords: #Robotic yarn actuator, #Programmable yarn, #Interactive textiles

  • July 2025 Journal submission (Wearables / Digital Health)

    Textile-integrated soft-robotic wearable device for personalized hand-edema therapy

    Keywords: #Robotic knits, #Adaptive compression, #Computerized knitting, #In-the-wild user study.

  • June 2025 Invited book chapter (Wearables / Digital Health)

    Modelling & digital simulation frameworks for wearable-sensor performance

    Keywords: #Contact-pressure modeling, #biosignal quality, #E-textile health monitoring, #Wearables design validation.

  • May 2025 Journal submission (Wearables / Digital Health)

    Advanced weaving techniques for scalable E-textile manufacturing

    Keywords: #Advanced weaving, #E-textile, #Technology

    Note: All manuscripts listed above are currently under peer review (single-blind or double-blind). Specific journal or conference names, research fields, and exact titles are withheld to maintain confidentiality.

Publications

Journal Publications

FitECG: Validating contact pressure prediction model for inclusive wearable health monitoring with sports bra

Seonyoung Youn, Kavita Mathur, Amanda C. Mills*

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical Technologies

DOI

2025/3/1

Comparative study of physical and virtual fabric parameters: physical versus virtual drape test using commercial 3D garment software

Seonyoung Youn, Caitlin G Knowles, Amanda C Mills, Kavita Mathur*

The Journal of The Textile Institute

DOI
2025/1/2

Feasibility assessment of textile electromyography sensors for a wearable telehealth biofeedback system

Beomjun Ju, Jasper Mark, Seonyoung Youn, Busra Sennik, Brady Adcock, and Amanda C. Mills*

Wearable Technologies

DOI

2025/6/16

Advanced Virtual Fit Technology for Precision Pressure Application in Medical Compression Waistbands

Seonyoung Youn, Sheng Zhan, Kavita Mathur*

Applied Sciences

DOI
2024/11/19

Evaluation of a new artificial intelligence-based textile digitization using fabric drape

Seonyoung Youn, Andre West, Kavita Mathur*

Textile Research Journal

DOI
2024/09

Enhancing Biosignal Quality in Electrocardiogram Monitoring Garments: Validation of a Simulation-Based Contact Pressure Model

Seonyoung Youn, Amanda C Mills, Andre West, Emiel DenHartog, Kavita Mathur*

ACS Applied Engineering Materials

DOI
2024/06/13

A Review of 3D Digital Garment Simulation Strategies for Enhanced Wearables and Medical-Grade Applications

Seonyoung Youn, Kavita Mathur*

Journal of Fiber Bioengineering and Informatics

DOI
2024/06/13

Simulation-based contact pressure prediction model to optimize health monitoring using E-textile integrated garment

Seonyoung Youn, Caitlin G Knowles, Beomjun Ju, Busra Sennik, Kavita Mathur*, Amanda C Mills, Jesse S Jur

IEEE Sensors Journal

DOI
2023/07/11

Revolutionizing Textile and Apparel Manufacturing through Digitization: Cutting-edge Three-dimensional Garment Simulation at ITMA 2023

Seonyoung Youn*

Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

DOI
2024/04/12

Enhancing Biosignal Quality in Electrocardiogram Monitoring Garments: Validation of a Simulation-Based Contact Pressure Model

Seonyoung Youn, Amanda C Mills, Andre West, Emiel DenHartog, Kavita Mathur*

ACS Applied Engineering Materials

DOI
2024/06/13

Prediction of fabric drape using artificial neural networks

Somin Lee, Dongjoo Yu, Bona Shin, Seonyoung Youn, Myounghee Shim, Changsang Yun*

Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles

DOI
2021/12/31

Indexing surface smoothness and fiber softness by sound frequency analysis for textile clustering and classification

Hye Jin Kim, Seonyoung Youn, Jeein Choi, Hyeonji Kim, Myounghee Shim, Changsang Yun*

Textile Research Journal

DOI
2021/01

Development of breathable Janus superhydrophobic polyester fabrics using alkaline hydrolysis and blade coating

Seonyoung Youn, Chung Hee Park*

Textile Research Journal

DOI
2019/03

Awards

  • 2024 AuxDefense, AuxDefense Innovation Award - Winner, “SecurECG Bra: A Customized-Fit Solution with a Strategic Design to Enhance ECG Signal Quality for Women in Defense.”

  • 2023 TBIS, Outstanding Student Paper Award, “Critical Review of Digital Simulation Strategies and Its Applications.”

  • 2023 Mansour Global Engagement Award, North Carolina State University

  • 2021-2022 Provost’s Fellowship, North Carolina State University

Media

  • September 1, 2024, Specialty Fabrics Review, Advanced Textiles Association (Alan Pierce), “Artificial intelligence in textile patterns and sizing.”

  • April 21, 2024, Textile World, “Revolutionizing Textile and Apparel Manufacturing Through Digitization.”

  • April 12, 2023, TECHNICIAN (Fiona Austin), “Smart Fabric Summit gives students the opportunity to present on original textiles research”

  • July 28, 2021, Wilson College News (Debbie Willmschen), “Getting to Know Seonyoung Youn: 2021-2022 Provost’s Fellowship Recipient”

Conference Presentation

  • Apurva Pandey, Grace Walters, Seonyoung Youn, Lisa Chapman*, and Kavita Mathur*. “Assessment of Weft-Knit Structures and Garment Construction Methods to Develop Optimal Extreme Weather Base-Layers,” to be presented at the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Nov. 18-22, 2025.

  • Kavita Mathur, Amanda Mills, and Seonyoung Youn*, “Integrating Strategic Design and 3D Simulation to Enhance ECG Signal Quality and Fit,” to be presented at I3MCTSRMNCS (The 13th International Manikin & Modelling Meeting (I3M) & The Clothing and Textile Sciences Research Meeting), Duke Energy Hall, NC State, Raleigh, NC, Oct. 15-17, 2025 (Poster).

  • Seonyoung Youn, Prateeti Ugale, Kavita Mathur, and Amanda C. Mills*, “Integration of Strategic Design and 3D Simulation Technologies to Enhance ECG Signal Quality and Customized Fit for Improved Health Monitoring,” presented at AuxDefense 2024 – 4th World Conference on Advanced Materials for Defense, Braga, Portugal, June 20-22, 2024. (Oral)**

    🏆 AuxDefense Innovation Award & Ph.D. Student Grant

  • Seonyoung Youn, Prateeti Ugale, Faisal Abedin, Kavita Mathur, and Amanda C. Mills*, “Inclusive Design in Advanced Wearable Health Monitoring Systems: A Case Study of a Smart Sports Bra Leveraging Contact Pressure Optimization for Enhanced Biosignal Acquisition,” presented at Fiber Society’s Spring 2024 Conference, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and University of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. May 22-24, 2024. (Oral)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Andre West, Melissa Sharp, and Kavita Mathur, “Evaluation and Comparison of Advanced Textile Digitization and Virtualization Technology Using Drape,” presented at Advanced Textiles Expo 2023, Orlando, FL, USA, Nov. 1-3, 2023. (Invited Speaker)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Ryan Darden, and Kavita Mathur, “Critical Review of Digital Simulation Strategies and Its Applications,” presented at the 16th Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Society (TBIS), Hybrid (Poland/Online), Aug. 22-25, 2023. (Oral)**

    🏆 Outstanding Student Papers Award

  • Seonyoung Youn and Kavita Mathur*, “Development of Electrocardiogram (ECG) Knit Armband Using a Simulation-Based Contact Pressure Model,” presented at the International Congress and Expo on Materials Science and Nanoscience (EUROMSN 2023), Hybrid (Paris, France/Online), June 28-30, 2023. (Oral)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Caitlin G. Knowles, Beomjun Ju, Busra Sennik, Kavita Mathur, and Jesse S. Jur, “Simulation-based Prediction Model to Optimize Contact Pressure of Knitted Fabrics for Wearable Garments,” presented at the 9th International Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies (IHIET-AI 2023), Hybrid (Lausanne, Switzerland/Online), April 13-15, 2023. (Oral)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Caitlin G. Knowles, Beomjun Ju, Busra Sennik, Kavita Mathur, and Jesse S. Jur, “Simulation-Based Prediction Model to Optimize Contact Pressure of Knit Fabrics for Wearables,” presented at the ATA Smart Fabrics Summit, North Carolina, USA, April 11-12, 2023. (Poster)

  • Seonyoung Youn and Kavita Mathur, “Simulation-based Prediction Model to Optimize Contact Pressure of Knitted Fabrics for Wearables,” presented at the 2022-2023 Textile Research Open House (ROH), North Carolina, USA, April 7, 2023. (Oral & Poster)

  • Seonyoung Youn, “Introduce Ph. D. Research Interests”, presented at Cross-MII Workshop: Multidisciplinary Software Usage and Development, Online, March 22, 2023. (Speaker)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Kavita Mathur, and Jesse S. Jur, “Optimizing Garment Fit for Prototyping E-components Using the Predicted Drape Coefficient Model,” presented at the Fiber Society 2022 Fall Meeting and Technical Conference, North Carolina, USA, Oct. 19-21, 2022. (Poster)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Kavita Mathur, and Jesse S. Jur, “Prediction of Thermal Comfort of Military Uniform Using 3D Virtual Simulation,” presented at Graduate Seminar, North Carolina, USA, Mar. 9, 2022. (Poster)

  • Young-Min Jeon and Seonyoung Youn, “Development of measuring method of temperature change of fiber material by light irradiation,” presented at the 2017 Fall Conference of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles, South Korea, Oct. 21, 2017. (Poster)**

    🏆 Winner-1st Place

  • Seonyoung Youn, Ki rim Kim, and Chung Hee Park, “Fabrication of Single-faced Superhydrophobic Polyester Fabric via Alkaline Hydrolysis and Blade Coating,” presented at the 5th International Conference on Chemical Science and Engineering (ICCSE 2016), Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 12-14, 2016. (Poster)

  • Seonyoung Youn, Miseon Han, and Chung Hee Park, “A Practical Development of Superhydrophobic Polyester Fabric by Alkaline Hydrolysis,” presented at The Fiber Society’s Spring 2015 Conference, Donghua University Songjiang Campus, Shanghai, China, May 24-27, 2015. (Poster)

Teaching

  • HOM2019 Textile Fibers (Fall 2025, Dongguk University)

  • HOM4044 History of Costume (Fall 2025, Dongguk University)

Guest Lecture