From classroom to world stage: competitive wellness innovation
About this Research Lab
The Wellness Research Lab, led by Professor Danny Kessler (Korea’s first Ph.D. in Wellness Tourism), is a globally engaged, impact-driven research hub based in South Korea. Founded in 2021, the Lab’s mission is to develop practical, research-backed strategies that elevate human well-being across institutions, communities, and organizations. The Lab bridges wellness science, sustainability, and social innovation to generate measurable, real-world outcomes.
The Lab is defined by execution rather than abstraction. While others focus on theory, the Wellness Research Lab produces field-tested innovation that competes successfully on the global stage. Since 2021, Lab students have submitted 13 original innovation projects to international wellness and sustainability competitions, translating research into performance.
Major Accomplishments
In 2021, Lab student Doan Anh Duong (Vietnam) won the Shark Tank of Wellness at the Global Wellness Summit, earning a USD 3,000 cash prize for her innovation concept. This marked the Lab’s first global victory and established its competitive credibility.
Building on that foundation, the Lab returned to the global stage in 2025. Professor Kessler and Lab student Damia Batrisyia advanced to the Shark Tank of Wellness global finals in Dubai, where Damia placed third worldwide and earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai, representing the university at one of the world’s premier wellness events.
Beyond Shark Tank, Lab students have also competed in the SDGs Design International Awards in 2023 and 2024, earning an Honorable Mention in 2023. Across all initiatives, the Lab’s philosophy remains consistent: students do not simply study wellness—they build it, pitch it, and lead with it.
Our Ambition
We are redefining wellness as a strategic discipline rooted in evidence, not slogans. Our lab’s research focuses on two intersecting areas:
Workplace Wellness: Applying positive organizational psychology and human-centered design to improve employee motivation, engagement, and mental health.
Community Wellness: Advancing cross-sector solutions that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly Goals 3 (Health), 4 (Education), and 11 (Sustainable Cities).
Wellness Research Opportunities
Our lab examines how built environments—offices, campuses, neighborhoods—affect individual well-being. Through interdisciplinary studies that combine positive psychology, innovative service design, and behavioral science, we co-create strategies that support thriving individuals and inclusive communities.
From undergraduate innovators to graduate researchers, our members work on applied projects, publish academic articles, and collaborate with global networks. We don’t just prepare students for careers—we empower them to shape the future of wellness.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Participating in an active research group provides students with the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in a more practical, real-world research setting. By working with others, building on existing research, gathering and analyzing data, and presenting findings for peer review and feedback, students are able to gain valuable hands-on experience and develop important skills that are applicable to a variety of fields.
Collaborating with others on a research project allows students to learn from and contribute to the work of others, while also developing their own critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Overall, working with a research group offers a unique and meaningful learning experience that can help students grow and succeed both academically and professionally.
Graduate Research Opportunities
At the Workplace Wellness Research Lab, we conduct research in the field of positive psychology, exploring theories such as Ryan and Deci’s Self Determination Theory (2012), Luthans’ Psychological Capital (2007), and Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions (2001). As a member of the research group, you will have the opportunity to publish research articles on human resource management under the guidance of Professor Kessler. Our research efforts in the field of positive psychology aim to identify and understand the factors that contribute to positive mental health and well-being in the workplace, with the goal of developing strategies and interventions that can promote employee well-being and productivity.
By engaging in this research, you will have the chance to develop a deeper understanding of the role that positive psychology plays in human resource management and to contribute to the field through your own research and writing.
Other Research
A foreign advisor to Busan Global Tourism City as well as an advisor to the new Busan Wellness Medical Tourism Cluster. Additionally, Danny works as a Research Associate with the Wellness Tourism Association and is a senior researcher at the Wellness Tourism Institute.
ADDRESS
Dongseo University
47, Jurye-ro, Sasang-gu, Busan, South Korea
CONTACT
dannykess@gmail.com