Jonghwan Kim

Professor (2023-)

Associate Professor (2017-2023)
Assistant Professor, CPRIT Scholar (2011-2017)
     Department of Molecular Biosciences
     Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology
     The University of Texas at Austin
Instructor (2010-2011). Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School
Research Fellow (2009-2010). Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School
Research Associate (2006-2009). Laboratory of Dr. Stuart H. Orkin
     Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Harvard Medical School
Doctoral Research (2000-2005). Laboratory of Dr. Vishwanath R. Iyer, The University of Texas at Austin
Research Assistant (1999-2000). Laboratory of Dr. Chul Geun Kim, Department of Biology
     Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
Mandatory Military Service (1994-1996). ROKA/EUSA, Yongsan, Seoul, Korea

Dr. Kim is mainly interested in understanding how transcriptional and epigenetic processes contribute to the regulation of global gene expression and cellular characteristics of various stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells and trophoblast stem cells. To address this, Kim uses molecular, biochemical, genetic, genomic, and proteomic approaches. Current research topics are:

- Determining how the differentiation vs. cell death decision is made when pluripotent stem cells exit from self-renewal at the single-cell level.
- Defining density-dependent gene expression signatures and identifying effectors controlling density-dependent gene expression programs and their regulatory mechanisms.
- Directed cell fate conversion via cell type-specific transcription factors in pluripotent stem cells.
- Identifying key transcription factors responsible for self-renewal and differentiation of human trophoblast stem cells.
- Understanding global regulatory mechanisms modulating human trophoblast stem cells, syncytiotrophoblast, and extravillous cytotrophoblast.
- Identifying factors responsible for pregnancy-related disorders using in vitro stem cell models.