Biography

David Kim is a medicinal chemist on the Thymine Team in the Early Translation Branch within NCATS’ Division of Preclinical Innovation. Kim currently works on several medicinal chemistry projects focusing on small-molecule modulators against proteins of interest, including G protein-coupled receptors, lipid kinases and lysosomal enzymes. Working in collaboration with other NIH Institutes and Centers and academic groups, the Thymine Team aims to better understand the role of disease in bone homeostasis, infectious agents, cancer and lysosomal disorders. 

Kim started his career with the Schering-Plough Corporation in Kenilworth, New Jersey, in 2005. He worked on several medicinal chemistry projects, including the development of glucan synthase inhibitors for antifungal treatment, diacylglycerol acyltransferase inhibitors for diabetes treatment, and adenosine 2a antagonists for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In 2012, Kim subsequently worked for the Albany Molecular Research Institute, on an in-sourcing collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, prior to joining NCATS.

Kim earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Emory University in 1996, his master’s degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000, and his doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, under Professor K.C. Nicolaou in 2005, where he completed the total synthesis of (-) Apicularen A and Halipeptin D. 

Research Topics

• Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor for bone homeostasis
• Relaxin receptor I for cancer treatment
• PI4K2a for treatment of infectious diseases
• Galactocerebrosidase for treatment of Krabbe disease