Sun Jung Kim, PhD

Sun Jung Kim, PhD, received her doctoral degree in immunology at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, under the supervision of Dr. Keith Elkon and Dr. Xiaojing Ma. During this time with Dr. Elkon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the fields of autoimmune disease and lupus were first introduced to her. Dr. Kim was fascinated by how the immune system was balanced by cytokines produced by innate immune cells, especially macrophage and dendritic cells. Her knowledge about cytokine regulation was further extended by studying with Dr. Ma during her thesis study. She and Dr. Ma identified a novel transcription factor, which is directly regulated by phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-12 p35 subunit in macrophage.

After joining Dr. Betty Diamond’s laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University, Dr. Kim studied disease-related research and focused on how dendritic cells contribute immune homeostasis and development of lupus in mouse models. At the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, she continued to work with Dr. Diamond along with a new collaborator, Dr. Peter K. Gregersen, studying human lupus risk SNP in dendritic cells and follicular helper T cells.

The focus of Dr. Kim’s laboratory research is to identify the regulatory mechanism of inflammatory function of dendritic cells under both homeostatic and inflammatory conditions. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying inhibition of development of autoimmune diseases, particularly in systemic lupus and inflammatory bowel diseases, we are using an animal model of SLE which has a dendritic specific deletion of transcription factor, Blimp-1.

Dr. Kim recently expanded her research to the area of PRDM1 (human gene encoding Blimp-1) susceptibility loci to lupus and alteration of metabolism in follicular helper T cells and autoreactive B cells, which will further enhance the understanding of the mechanism in human diseases. Specific focuses are:

• Function of Blimp-1 in the regulation of dendritic cell homeostasis
• Autoreactive repertoire in helper T cells in SLE
• Sex hormone-mediated regulation of dendritic cell function
• Metabolism in follicular helper T cells and age-associated B cells in SLE

Kyungwoo Lee
Postdoctoral Fellow
Research: Repertoire of helper T cells in mouse model of lupus and DC metabolism 

Vera Kim
Postdoctoral Fellow
Research: Functional alteration of follicular helper T17 (Tfh17) in lupus

Ivan Ramirez De Oleo
Rheumatology Fellow
Research: Pathogenic function of age-associated B cells (ABCs) in animal model of lupus

Hong Tian
Laboratory Technician
General Lab Manager

Seoul Women’s University; Seoul, Korea 
Degree: BS
1994

Seoul Women’s University; Seoul, Korea
Degree: MS
1996

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Degree: PhD
2004
Field of study: Immunology

Columbia University
Degree: Postdoctoral fellow
2006

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY
Degree: Postdoctoral fellow
2010

• 2018 Betty Diamond Innovation Award, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2017 Award of Excellence in Research, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2017 Barbara Hrbek Zucker Scientific Achievement Award, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2016 Irene and Peter Pappas Research-in Training Award, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2013 Susan Karches Educational Award, Advancing Women in Science and Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2009 Lawrence Scott Fellowship Award, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, NY
• 2005-2008 SLE Fellowship, Lupus Foundation, New York, NY
• 2004-2005 Stephen Morse Fellowship, Columbia University, NY
• 2001-2002 Predoctoral Fellowship, Cancer Research Institute, NY
• 1991-1994 Scholarship of Excellence, Seoul Women’s University