Dr. Kim obtained her Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Doctorate in Biology from the University of Michigan in 1991 and 1994, respectively. Awarded a NSF postdoctoral fellowship, she conducted her postdoctoral studies at the University of Minnesota from 1995-1999. Her prior work characterized the mechanisms of electron and proton transfer in photosynthesis, which was recognized by the Paul D. Boyer Award for junior investigators in 1999. Dr. Kim’s principal interest is how similar proteins are tuned to diverse biological functions. Dr. Kim is currently funded through the National Institutes of General Medicine (R01GM097350) to understand how the key reactions in obtaining energy to operate and move can lead to control of not only individual, cellular processes, but also specific cell types.