Kim Kwang-soo (born 1954) is a South Korean neuroscientist.

Education

*B.S. Seoul National University, Department of Microbiology (1977) *M.S.

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is a national research university located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea. KAIST was established by the Korean government in 1971 as the nation's first public, researc ...

(KAIST),

Biological Science Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary ...

and

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

(1979) *Ph.D. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Biological Science and Engineering ( Dewey D. Ryu) (1983) *M.S.(hon.)

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

Neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

(2011) Postdoctoral Training *Postdoc. Fellow,

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

, Dept. of

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

(

Molecular Genetics Molecular genetics is a sub-field of biology that addresses how differences in the structures or expression of DNA molecules manifests as variation among organisms. Molecular genetics often applies an "investigative approach" to determine the ...

; Lenny Guarente, 1983–1985) *Postdoc. Associate, MIT, Dept. of Biology (Molecular Genetics; Lenny Guarente, 1987–1989)

Work

Kim is a Professor and Director at the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory,

McLean Hospital McLean Hospital () (formerly known as Somerville Asylum and Charlestown Asylum) is a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. It is noted for its clinical staff expertise and neuroscience research and is also known for the large number of ...

. He has over 20 year experiences to investigate molecular

neurobiology Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

midbrain The midbrain or mesencephalon is the forward-most portion of the brainstem and is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation. The name comes from the Greek ''mesos'', " ...

dopamine

neuronal A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous tissue in all animals except sponges and placozoa. No ...

system in health and disease, focusing on elucidating the genetic network of

intrinsic In science and engineering, an intrinsic property is a property of a specified subject that exists itself or within the subject. An extrinsic property is not essential or inherent to the subject that is being characterized. For example, mass ...

signaling molecules and

extrinsic In science and engineering, an intrinsic property is a property of a specified subject that exists itself or within the subject. An extrinsic property is not essential or inherent to the subject that is being characterized. For example, mass ...

transcription factors for development and maintenance of dopamine neurons. He is also investigating stem cell biology and has pioneered to generate human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by protein-based reprogramming methods and demonstrated that these protein-iPS cells can efficiently generate functional dopamine neurons. He is currently focused on translating his neuroscience and stem cell research to potential therapeutic development for brain disorders such as

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

, Alzheimer's disease, and

inflammatory diseases Inflammation (from la, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecu ...

.Vasudevan A, Won C, Li S, Erdélyi F, Szabó G, Kim KS. Development. 2012 Sep;139(17):3136-41. doi: 10.1242/dev.078394.

Awards

*Scholarship from Seoul National University (1974–1977) *Graduated with the highest departmental honor (Department of Microbiology, Seoul National University) (1977) *Graduated with the highest departmental honor (Department of Biological Science and Technology, KAIST) (1979) *National Full Scholarship for Graduate Study at KAIST (1977–1982) *National Scholarship and Travel Award for the Study in U.S. (1983–1984) *First Award Grant from

NIMH NIMH may refer to: *Nickel–metal hydride battery (NiMH), a type of electrical battery *National Institute of Mental Health, an agency of the United States government *National Institute of Medical Herbalists, a professional organisation in the Un ...

(1992–1998) *

NARSAD The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that funds mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It ...

Independent Award (2000–2005) * Society of Bioscience Research (SBR) Bioscience Award (2003) *Lead Reviewer Award from

Stem Cells In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of ...

(2006) *

NIH The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

Director's Opportunity Grant (top 3%) (2010–2013)

External links

Department of NeurobiologyMcLean Hospital Mailman Research Center

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Kwang-soo 1954 births Living people Seoul National University alumni KAIST alumni South Korean biologists McLean Hospital people