ASCI / Young Physician-Scientist Awards, 2024
The Young Physician-Scientist Awards (YPSA) recognize physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research.
About the awardee
John S. Kim, MD, MS is a pulmonologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia School of Medicine whose research focuses on pulmonary fibrosis. During his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Columbia University, Dr. Kim developed a clinical interest in interstitial lung disease (ILD) and was impacted by how devastating this condition can be with very few effective treatments. Dr. Kim translated these clinical interests into an early-stage investigator research career that leverages imaging biomarkers, genomics, and clinical phenotype data and integrate them to identify subgroups of individuals at higher risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Kim has published research identifying strong associations of known pulmonary fibrosis risk genetic variants with automated imaging biomarkers of early lung inflammation and fibrosis and potential modifiable risk factors including hiatal hernia, sleep disordered breathing, and the mononuclear phagocyte system. It is the long-term goal of Dr. Kim and his research team to design and implement clinical trials aimed at preventing the development of pulmonary fibrosis.
Dr. Kim has identified long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as a potential modifiable risk factor in the early development of ILD. Leveraging data from several NIH-funded cohorts and collaborating with other investigators, Dr. Kim found that higher circulating levels of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids) were predictive of a lesser burden of early interstitial abnormalities detected on lung CT scans and lower risk of ILD hospitalization and death. This work provided the premise for his current NHLBI K23 award that is focused on elucidating the role of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and their metabolites in pulmonary fibrosis.
In recognition of his research, Dr. Kim has received several awards and grant support including the University of Virginia Department of Medicine Excellence in Research Award, C4R Early Investigator Award, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Scholars Award, and Chest Foundation Award. Dr. Kim is a member of several NIH-funded study working groups including TOPMed, SPIROMICS, MESA, and PRECISIONS.