Jee Hyun Kim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jee Hyun Kim
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health |
Jee Hyun Kim is an Australian behavioral neuroscientist. She studies how our brains learn and remember emotions, especially during childhood and the teenage years. She is a professor and leads the Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory at the Deakin University School of Medicine in Australia.
Dr. Kim also loves to share science with everyone. She has given talks at events like TEDx Melbourne and the Australian Museum. She has also been interviewed on TV and radio shows, helping people understand more about the brain.
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Understanding Our Brains
Dr. Kim's research shows that how we learn and remember scary things changes as we grow up. What we remember as a child might be different from what we remember as a teenager or an adult. Her work suggests that it might even be possible to "erase" some fear memories when we are very young.
She uses animal models, like rodents, in her studies. These models help scientists understand how our brains work and how behaviors are formed. Specifically, Dr. Kim looks at how memory and forgetting play a role in developing and treating anxiety disorders.
How Fear Memories Work
To study anxiety, Dr. Kim's lab uses a method called fear conditioning. This idea comes from the famous scientist Ivan Pavlov, who studied how animals learn. Even though it's an old method, scientists still use it today to learn about fear and anxiety in the brain.
A big part of Dr. Kim's research focuses on something called extinction. This is a way of learning to stop being afraid of something. It's like learning that a scary sound is no longer dangerous. This type of learning is very important for therapies that help people with anxiety disorders.
Dr. Kim has written over 70 scientific papers, and her work has been mentioned by other scientists more than 2700 times.
Her Journey in Science
Dr. Kim started her university studies at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in 2004. She was a top student and even won a special award called the University Medal in Psychology. She then continued her studies at UNSW and earned her PhD in psychology in 2008. During her PhD, she wrote six scientific articles.
After finishing her PhD, Dr. Kim worked as a researcher at UNSW and then at the University of Michigan. Later, she joined the Florey Institute as a Senior Research Officer. She then became the head of the Developmental Psychobiology Laboratory at the institute.
Helping the Science Community
Dr. Kim is a strong supporter of women in science. She has worked to help create equal opportunities for women in research. Her efforts were even highlighted in a book about building career paths for women in science.
She also serves on the board of the International Society for Developmental Psychobiology. She helps organize and lead scientific conferences around the world. She is also the treasurer for Biological Psychiatry Australia.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Kim has received many awards for her important work. Some of these include:
- International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) Young Scientist Lectureship Award
- American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Travel Award
- Biological Psychiatry Australia, Aubrey Lewis Award 2017
- The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CINP), Rafaelsen Young Investigator Award 2016
- Australian Institute of Policy and Science, Victorian Tall Poppy Award 2014
- International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, Kucharski Young Investigator Award 2013
- American Psychological Association, D.G. Marquis Award for Best paper published in Behavioral Neuroscience 2012
- University of New South Wales, U-Committee Award for Research Excellence in Science 2010
- International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, Dissertation Award 2009
- University of New South Wales, University Medal in Psychology 2004
