Dr Ki Wook Kim
Dr Ki Wook Kim is a Postdoctoral Scientist at the School of Women’s and Children’s Health in University of New South Wales, based within the Prince of Wales Hospital. He completed Bachelors, Honours and PhD University of Sydney specialising in Molecular Biology and Genetics. During his PhD, he investigated the roles and interactions of various microRNAs and RNA silencing component proteins in multiple model organisms. He also accumulated extensive training in molecular research and advanced microscopy at various leading institutions including the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, CSIRO and the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU. Pursuing his long-standing passion for medical research, Dr. Kim is now an investigator of the ENDIA (Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity) study group, focusing on the viral aetiology of Type 1 Diabetes among Australian children. Currently, he aims to characterise the virome (collection of all viruses) of Australian children who are at-risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes, using cutting-edge Next-Generation Sequencing techniques.
Project
Virus infections and Type 1 Diabetes: Next-Generation Sequencing and virome detection.
Research Interests
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 140 000 children and adults in Australia and over 16 million people worldwide. It is thought to arise from the complex interplay between genetic predisposition and exposure to various environmental agents. For decades, the involvement of Enteroviruses in the pathogenesis of this disease has been strongly debated.
Dr Kim is interested in further elucidating the molecular events initiated by viruses that might contribute to the onset of type 1 diabetes, including those involving the dysregulation of microRNAs. He is also interested in the application of cutting-edge Next-Generation Sequencing technologies to investigate changes in the transcriptome and virome of human pancreatic islets prior to or following the development of type 1 diabetes. The sooner we determine when, how and which viruses contribute to the pathogenesis of islet autoimmunity, sooner we can develop an effective vaccine to prevent all virus-mediated Type 1 Diabetes.
Awards & Achievements
2017 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Early Career Travel Award (ADA meeting, San Diego)
2016 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Early Career Travel Award (Columbia University, New York)
2015 Finalist for the 43rd Annual Tow Research Award (Open-Senior Division)
2013 PRSS travel support
2012 PRSS travel support
2011 ASPS travel grant
2010-2014 Australian Postgraduate Award
Research Highlights
| 2016 | Richardson S.J., and Horwitz M.S. miR, miR in the Cell, Does the Virus Control Them All? Diabetes. 65(4), 823-825. doi:10.2337/dbi15-0039. Commentary article for Kim K.W. et. Al., 2016 Diabetes
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| 2016 | Thomas H. Diabetes: Enterovirus dysregulates islet miRNAs. Nature Reviews Endocrinology 12(1):2. DOI:10.1038. Research Highlight article for Kim K.W. et. Al., 2016 Diabetes |
Publications
| 2016 | Phillips J.E., Couper J.J., Penno M.A., Harrison L.C. and ENDIA Study Group. Type 1 diabetes: a disease of developmental origins. Pediatric Diabetes DOI: 10.1111 Epub ahead of print |
| 2016 | Isaacs S.R., Wang J., Kim K.W., Congcong Y., Li Z., Mi Q.S. and Craig M.E. MicroRNAs in Type 1 Diabetes: Complex Interregulation of the Immune System, ?-cell Function and Viral Infections. Current Diabetes Reports. Submitted. |
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2016 |
Kim K.W., Ho A., Alshabee-Akil A., Hardikar A.A., Kay T.W.H., Rawlinson W.D. and Craig M.E. Coxsakievirus B5 infection induces dysregulation of microRNAs predicted to target known type 1 diabetes risk genes in human pancreatic islets. Diabetes 65(4):996-1003. DOI: 10.2337 |
| 2016 | Kim K.W., Eamens A.L., Huen A., Gaspar C.L. and Waterhouse P.M. Simultaneous inhibition of multiple miRNAs in plants using the MRKIM strategy. Molecular Plant. Undergoing review. |
| 2016 | Kim K.W., Eamens A.L., Preiss T. and Waterhouse P.M. Control of reproduction by three inter-regulating ARGONAUTEs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Scientific Reports. Undergoing review. |
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2012 |
Eamens A.L., Kim K.W. and Waterhouse P.M. DRB2, DRB3 and DRB5 function in a non-canonical microRNA pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Signal Behavior 7(10):1224-9. DOI: 10.4161 |
| 2012 | Eamens A.L., Kim K.W., Curtin S.J. and Waterhouse P.M. DRB2 is required for microRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLoS ONE 7(4): e35933. DOI: 10.1371 |
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2011 |
Kim K.W., Eamens A.L. and Waterhouse P.M. RNA processing activities of the Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE protein family, RNA Processing, Paula Grabowski (Ed.),ISBN: 978-953-307-557-0, InTech DOI: 10.5772/22686 |
