Prior to his appointment at USA, Dr. Kim served as an associate research biologist in drug development at Southern Research in Birmingham, Ala., where he extended his experience to support human clinical trials for new vaccines against influenza under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations.
“Dr. Kim provides additional expertise to our expanding research efforts in viral diseases, especially for viruses that are a potential threat to the gulf coast area,” said Dr. David Wood, professor and chair of microbiology and immunology at the USA College of Medicine. “His experience in the private sector and GLP training will be invaluable to our vaccine development efforts.”
Dr. Kim earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree and his master’s degree in veterinary pathology from Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. He earned his doctor of philosophy degree in virology in Dr. Kawaoka’s lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he studied the molecular mechanisms of how highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza virus adapts to humans using model systems.
He also completed a post-doctoral research training program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor College of Pharmacy where he studied HIV-1 infection of CD4+ T cells and quantified functional envelope glycoproteins on the surface of a single HIV-1 virion. Results from these studies supported HIV-1 vaccine development efforts.
“Dr. Kim is a welcomed addition to the department and will be instrumental in extending the research and capabilities of the LID for collaborations both internal and external to USA,” said Dr. Jonathan Rayner, associate professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the USA College of Medicine.
Dr. Kim’s research interests include the influenza viruses, HIV-1, emerging viruses, clinical/preclinical studies in vaccine development and viral transmission and pathogenesis.
