Dr. Justin Kim

Biography

Justin Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology. His research focuses on tackling molecular challenges in cancer biology using a bottom-up approach. His laboratory emphasizes basic chemical research which includes the development of new reactions, exploration of novel synthetic strategies, and the discovery of new molecular reactivity. These efforts contribute to the synthesis of complex molecular architectures, ultimately aiming to access useful compounds for studying and manipulating biological systems. His biological interests encompass tumor hypoxia, gram-negative pathogens, and protein-protein interactions, which are critical for understanding human pathologies. His drug discovery efforts target structural complementarity between small molecules and dysregulated protein binding pockets, as well as the design of new therapeutic imaging agents that respond to unique chemical environments in diseased cells and pathogens. Additionally, his lab seeks to develop high-throughput discovery platforms to facilitate the identification of small organic molecules that can target traditionally undruggable targets, and aims to synthesize potent bioactive natural products to create new therapeutic agents.

Research Interests