김명석 (Myungsuk Kim) Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Vision & Mentorship Statement

Our lab is driven by a central question: How can we harness the intricate interplay between our genes, our diet, and our microbiome to pioneer the future of personalized health? We are building a dynamic, interdisciplinary team to tackle this challenge head-on, translating fundamental discoveries into real-world solutions for metabolic and age-related diseases.

Mentorship Philosophy

My commitment to my students extends beyond the lab bench. I strive to foster an environment of intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and open collaboration. My goal is to empower you to become a creative, independent, and resilient scientific leader, fully prepared for a successful career in academia, industry, or wherever your passion leads you.

🎓 EDUCATION

Dr. Kim's scientific journey began at Yonsei University, where he uniquely combined a foundation in Bioengineering with a degree in Business Administration, giving him a distinct perspective on both scientific discovery and its practical application. His passion for nutritional science led him to the University of California, Davis, a world-renowned center for metabolic research. There, under the guidance of Dr. Brian J. Bennett, he utilized cutting-edge systems genetics approaches to unravel the complex links between genetics, the gut microbiota, and cardiovascular disease.

🔬 RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

2022 – Present Senior Research Scientist, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
2017 - 2021 Graduate Student Researcher, USDA Western Human Nutrition Research Center, USA
2013 – 2017 Research Scientist, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea (including Military service)
2011 - 2012 Research Assistant, Yonsei University, Department of Biotechnology

🏅 AWARDS & HONORS

UST Excellent Teacher Commendation (2024.12)
Young Investigator Research Award, Korean Society of Molecular and Cellular Biology (2022.09)
Asan Biomedical Sciences Scholarship, Asan Foundation (₩100 million) (2020.01)
HENRY A. JASTRO Graduate Research Award, University of California, Davis (2019.10)
KIST Fellowship, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (2017.09)
Minister Award, Ministry of Health and Welfare (2011.11)
Full Tuition National Science and Technology Scholarship, Korea Research Foundation (2006-2010)
Multiple
Best R&D Team Awards and Best Poster Awards from various institutions including KIST and domestic academic societies

📄PATENTS

Lead Inventor for a composition for treating muscular diseases using Poncirus trifoliata extract, with patents filed in Korea, the U.S., Europe, and via PCT, supported by the Eureka Project.
Co-inventor for a wound treatment composition containing Stellera chamaejasme extract, registered in Europe and Japan.
Co-inventor for a method of preventing or treating obesity, registered in the U.S. and Korea

🤝TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS

Co-inventor on multiple technology transfers to various companies, including:

A composition for bone disease prevention using
Oenanthe javanica extract to Botanose Co., Ltd. (2023.08)
Compositions using
Convallaria keiskei and Aster yomena extracts to Life Story Co., Ltd. (2023.02)
Technology for modulating inflammatory diseases based on extracellular vesicles to Envience Co., Ltd. (2023.01)
Technology related to natural products (
Ixeridium dentatum, Lysimachia clethroides) and smart farm cultivation to Daedong Co., Ltd. (2022.11)

🎤 INVITED TALKS

• 2025.05 10th Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Congress Asia, Singapore

• 2025.04 2025 SIDDS, Seoul, Korea

• 2024.11 Konkuk University Glocal Campus, Chungju, Korea

• 2024.09 2024 Korean Society for Food Engineering. Andong, Korea

• 2024.07 2024 Korean Society of Food Science and Technology. Daegu, Korea

• 2024.07 2024 Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry. Jeju, Korea

• 2024.04 Yonsei University College of Dentistry. Seoul, Korea

• 2024.02 Korean Cachexia Medifood Symposium. Seoul, Korea

• 2024.01 2024 Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Hongcheon, Korea

• 2023.11 Ewha Womans University, College of Pharmacy. Seoul, Korea

• 2023.10 2023 The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. Busan, Korea

• 2023.09 Yonsei University, Wonju College of Medicine. Seoul, Korea

• 2023.08 2023 UKC. Dallas, TX, USA

• 2023.06 제 30회 대한기초의학학술대회. Wonju, Korea

• 2023.04 2023 Korean Society of Ginseng. Gangneung, Korea

• 2023.04 디지털헬스케어사업단 R&D 세미나. Wonju, Korea

• 2023.03 Seoul National University, Department of Food and Nutrition. Seoul, Korea

• 2023.03 Yonsei University, College of Medicine. Seoul, Korea

• 2023.02 2023 Korean Association for Laboratory Animal Science. Pyeongchang, Korea

• 2022.11 Korea Animal Model Archive (KAMA) Workshop. Seoul, Korea

• 2022.11 Busan National University, Department of Biological Sciences. Busan, Korea

• 2022.10 2022 The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. Jeju, Korea

• 2022.09 2022 Korean Society of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Jeju, Korea

• 2022.07 2022 Korean Society of Food Science and Technology. Busan, Korea

• 2022.05 2022 Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Busan, Korea

• 2019.05 2019 Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. Boston, USA

• 2016.07 The 6th International Conference on Food Factors. Seoul, Korea

🧾FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

Hong, S.*, Nguyen, B. N.*, Min, H.T., Youn, H.Y., Cha, K.H., Park, Y.T., Lee, C., Yoo, G.H.*, Kim, M*. (2024) Host-specific effects of Eubacterium species on Rg3-mediated osteosarcopenia treatment in a genetically diverse mouse population. Microbiome 12, 251. (*co-corresponding author, IF: 13.8, JCR: 4.7%)
Nguyen, B. N., Hong, S., Choi, S., Lee, C.*, Yoo, G.H.*, Kim, M*. (2024) Dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy and bone loss in six genetically diverse collaborative cross founder strains demonstrate phenotypic variability by Rg3 treatment. J. Ginseng Res. 48(3):310-322. (*co-corresponding author, IF: 6.8, JCR: 1.2%)
Kim, M., Huda, M.N., Evans, L.W., Que, E., Gertz, E.R., Maeda-Smithies, N., Bennett, B.J. (2023) Integrative analysis of hepatic transcriptional profiles reveals genetic regulation of atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic Diversity Outbred-F1 mice. Sci. Rep. 13(1):9475. (IF: 5.00, JCR: 25.3%)
Kim, M. *, Huda, M.N.*, Bennett, B.J., (2022) Sequence meets function—Microbiota and Cardiovascular Disease. Cardiovasc. Res. 118(2):399-412 (*co-first author, IF: 14.24, JCR: 6.6%)
Kim, M. *, Huda, M.N., O'Connor, A., Albright, J., Durbin-Johnson, B., Bennett, B.J., (2021) Hepatic transcriptional profile reveals the role of diet and genetic backgrounds on metabolic traits in female progenitor strains of the Collaborative Cross. Physiol. Genomics. 53(5): 173-192 (Selected as a cover page, IF: 4.30, JCR: 27.8%)

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