You-Me Kim, PhD

You-Me Kim, PhD
Associate Professor
Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

You-Me Kim is an Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Korea.

Dr. Kim’s laboratory focuses on studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the innate immune responses. Her work revealed important regulatory mechanisms of nucleotide-sensing TLRs, including the intracellular trafficking and localization-mediated control of the receptor signaling. Another research interest of the Kim Lab is the crosstalk between commensal microorganisms and the intestinal immune system. Her group is investigating how the characteristics of specific intestinal immune cell subsets are modulated by microbiota and is trying to utilize the knowledge gained from those studies for treating various immunological conditions. She also actively collaborates with biotech and pharmaceutical companies to help their drug development programs and engage in translation of basic research outcomes into ultimate clinical uses. Her academic achievements were recognized by WBF-COSMAX Award for Women in Science in 2020.

Dr. Kim has a B.S. and M.S. in Pharmacy from Seoul National University and obtained her PhD from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. After a postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Whitehead Institute, she worked at Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in Cambridge until returning back to Korea in 2009. Dr. Kim has been actively involved in the Korean Association of Immunologists (KAI), serving on the Scientific Committee for a number of years and playing a pivotal role in hosting the 8th Congress of the Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania Congress (FIMSA 2021) in Korea. She also participated in the International Scientific Advisory Committee of Cytokines 2020 and 2021 and will be chairing Cytokines 2024 in Seoul, Korea.