Kim (James) Lab | UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas

Research

The laboratory examines the communication between epithelia and stroma through the lens of fundamental developmental pathways such as Hedgehog, Wnt, and Notch pathways. During development, these pathways mediate critical interactions between endoderm and mesenchymal germ layers that will arise to epithelium and stroma, respectively. The pathways mediate stem cell fate, proliferation, and differentiation.

Meet the Principal Investigator

Dr. James Kim in his lab with a graduate student

James Kim, M.D., Ph.D.

James Kim earned his B.A. in chemistry and classical Greek at Amherst College. He then completed the M.D.-Ph.D. program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He did his graduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Douglas Turner with a focus on RNA thermodynamics and prediction of RNA secondary structure from sequence.
In his postdoctoral research with Dr. Philip Beachy at Stanford University, Dr. Kim characterized itraconazole, a well-known antifungal drug, as a novel Hedgehog pathway inhibitor with a distinct mechanism of action from other Hh pathway antagonists.
At UT Southwestern, the Kim laboratory focuses on how fundamental developmental pathways, such as Hedgehog, are involved in the initiation, growth, and metastases of cancers. The laboratory also seeks to understand interactions of these pathways with each other and between tumor epithelia and stroma.
In his clinic, Dr. Kim specializes in the care of patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies.

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