V. Narry Kim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
V. Narry Kim
|
|
|---|---|
V. Narry Kim
|
|
| Born |
Vic Narry Kim
1969 (age 55–56) Yeonggwang, South Jeolla, South Korea
|
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Alma mater | Seoul National University University of Oxford |
| Known for | MicroRNA |
| Awards | Asan Award in Medicine (2019) Scientist of the Year Award (2016) S-Oil Leading Scientist of the Year (2013) Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea (2013) Amore Pacific the Grand Prize (2010) Ho-Am Prize in Medicine (2009) L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award (2008) Woman Scientist/Engineer of the Year Award (2007) Thomson Scientific Citation Laureate Award (2007) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry, molecular biology |
| Institutions | Institute for Basic Science, Seoul National University |
| Doctoral advisor | Alan J. Kingsman |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김빛내리
|
| RR | Gim Bitnaeri |
| MR | Kim Pinnaeri |
V. Narry Kim is a brilliant scientist from South Korea. She is a biochemist and microbiologist. She is famous for her important work on tiny molecules called microRNAs. These molecules help control how our bodies work. Her discoveries have helped us understand microRNAs better. They have also improved ways to use RNA interference in science, which is like turning off specific genes.
Contents
About V. Narry Kim
V. Narry Kim was born in South Korea in 1969. She became interested in science when she was in high school. She once said that she loved the simple rules that explain how complex life works. This love for understanding life led her to become a scientist.
Education and Early Career
Kim studied microbiology at Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea. She earned her bachelor's degree in 1992 and her master's degree in 1994. After that, she moved to the United Kingdom. She studied at the University of Oxford and earned her PhD in biochemistry in 1998.
After her PhD, Kim went to the United States. She worked as a research assistant at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Philadelphia. There, she studied how cells check their mRNA (messenger RNA) for errors. In 2001, she returned to Korea. She started working at Seoul National University as a research assistant professor.
By the time she was 35, Dr. Kim had already published many important papers. These papers appeared in famous science magazines like Science and Nature. She also holds patents for her research. One patent is for a new way to deliver genes using a special virus.
Research on MicroRNAs
In 2008, Dr. Kim became an associate professor at SNU. In 2010, she became a SNU Distinguished Fellow. By 2013, she was a full professor. In 2012, she became the first director of the Center for RNA Research. This center is part of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Seoul.
Her lab focuses on how microRNAs (miRNAs) control genes. MicroRNAs are tiny pieces of RNA that do not make proteins. They are involved in almost everything that happens inside our cells. It is very important for cells to control miRNAs correctly. If they are not controlled well, it can lead to diseases like cancer.
Dr. Kim's team studies how miRNAs are made and processed in animal cells. This process is called miRNA biogenesis. Their work has greatly helped scientists understand miRNAs. These discoveries could lead to new ways to treat cancer. They could also help with stem cell engineering.
New Technology for Cancer Treatment
In 2013, Dr. Kim and Professor Jin-Soo Kim developed a new technology. This technology can remove specific microRNAs from cells. This discovery could help cure cancer and other diseases in the future.
They used special enzymes called TALENs. These TALENs were used to separate certain microRNAs from a cell. Before this, TALENs were used to create proteins. This was the first time they were used to separate microRNAs. Dr. Kim's team made 540 different TALENs for this purpose. When they used this on cancer cells, the cancer cells grew much slower. This important discovery was published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology in November 2013.
Understanding MicroRNA Biogenesis
Dr. Kim's first major paper as a lead researcher was published in 2002. In this paper, she explained how microRNAs are made. She showed that it happens in two main steps. The first step happens in the cell's nucleus. The second step happens outside the nucleus, in the cytoplasm. She was the first to propose this model for how microRNAs are created.
Her research group also found that special proteins, like Drosha-DGCR8, are important for making microRNAs in the nucleus. They also discovered how other proteins, like LIN28 and TUT4, can break down microRNAs. This helped explain how microRNAs affect stem cells and cancer. Her findings have also improved technologies that use RNA to turn off genes.
More recently, Dr. Kim's team worked with other scientists. They studied the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. They found new RNA pieces from the virus. This work helped us understand the virus better.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. V. Narry Kim has received many important awards for her scientific work.
- In 2008, she received the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science. This award celebrates women scientists around the world.
- In 2009, she won the Ho-Am Prize in Medicine, a very respected award in Korea.
- In 2013, she received the Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea.
- In 2019, she was honored with the Asan Award in Medicine.
- In 2024, she received the Grand Prize from the Lim Seong-ki Researcher Award.
She is also a member of important science groups, like the RNA Society. She has been recognized as one of the top scientists in Asia by Asian Scientist and Nature.
Professional Experience
- 2013–present: Professor, Seoul National University
- 2012–present: Director, Center for RNA Research, Institute for Basic Science
- 2010–present: SNU Distinguished Fellow, Seoul National University
- 2008–2013: Associate Professor, Seoul National University
- 2004–2008: Assistant Professor, Seoul National University
- 2001–2004: Research Assistant Professor, Seoul National University
- 1999–2001: Postdoctoral fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania
Images for kids
-
Kim speaking at a meeting in 2024.
