Kim Sung-hoon (biologist)

Sunghoon Kim
Born1958 (age 62–63)
South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Alma materPh.D. Brown University, U.S.
Known forAminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases
AwardsKorea Science Award, Ministry of Science and Technology (2003) The Scientist of the Month, Korea Science and Engineering Foundation(KOSEF) (2003)
The Best Scientist of the Year, Ministry of Science and Technology(2006)
The Award of Korean National Academy of Science (2012)
Scientific career
FieldsAminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, Translation, Cancer biology, Therapeutic target discovery
InstitutionsSeoul National University
Doctoral advisorDr. Arthur Landy
Korean name
Hangul
Revised RomanizationGim Seong-hun
McCune–ReischauerKim Sŏnghun

Dr. Kim Sunghoon is a South Korean biologist.

Education

Work

Dr. Sunghoon Kim has been studying novel functions of human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases(ARSs) and searching for their pathophysiological connections to human diseases(PNAS 105:11043,[1] 2008; Nat Rev Cancer 11:708, 2011[2]). He has identified potent novel tumor suppressors such as AIMP2/p38(Nat Genet 34:330, 2003[3]), AIMP3/p18(Cell, 120:209, 2005[4]). Besides, he has also investigated novel extracellular activities of ARSs and associated factors such as lysyl-tRNA synthetase(KRS)(PNAS 102, 6356, 2005[5]), tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase(WRS)(Nat Struct Mol Biol 11:149, 2004[6]) and AIMP1/p43(PNAS 103:14913, 2006[7]). He also discovered the oncogenic variant of AIMP2, designated AIMP2-DX2, as one of the critical factors that determines the survival of lung cancer patients(Plos Genet 7:e1001351, 2011[8]). More recently, he found that leucyl-tRNA synthetase(LRS) serves as an amino acid sensor for mTOR signal pathway(Cell 149:410, 2012[9]).

In summary, his research is unveiling novel regulatory network mediated by human aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that have been regarded as housekeeping machinery for protein synthesis. The regulatory roles and implications of these proteins in human diseases have been largely overlooked for decades. His series of the discoveries on the new function, pathology and medicine of ARSs are rapidly opening a research area that throws new insights into the central dogma of life and human diseases.

  • 1991 - 1994 Post-doc, MIT
  • 1994 - 2001 Associate Professor, Sung Kyun Kwan University
  • 2001–Present Professor, Seoul National University
  • 1988 - 2007 Director, Center for ARS Network National Creative Research Initiatives
  • 2007 - 2010 Director, Center for Medicinal Protein Network and Systems Biology
  • 2010–Present Director, Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center

Awards
  • 2000 The Donghun award, The Korean Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • 2003 Korea Science Award, Ministry of Science and Technology
  • 2003 The Scientist of the Month, Korea Science and Engineering Foundation(KOSEF)
  • 2006 The Best Scientist of the Year, Ministry of Science and Technology[10]
  • 2012 The Award of Korean National Academy of Science[11]
  • 2015 Ho-am Prize in Medicine, Ho-Am Foundation

See also
  • AwardsAminoacyl tRNA synthetase
  • Leucyl-tRNA synthetase

References
  1. Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases and their connections to disease
  2. http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v11/n10/full/nrc3124.html
  3. http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v34/n3/full/ng1182.html
  4. Cell - The Haploinsufficient Tumor Suppressor p18 Upregulates p53 via Interactions with ATM/ATR
  5. Human lysyl-tRNA synthetase is secreted to trigger proinflammatory response
  6. http://www.nature.com/nsmb/journal/v11/n2/full/nsmb722.html
  7. Hormonal activity of AIMP1/p43 for glucose homeostasis
  8. PLOS Genetics: Cancer-Associated Splicing Variant of Tumor Suppressor AIMP2/p38: Pathological Implication in Tumorigenesis
  9. Cell - Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase Is an Intracellular Leucine Sensor for the mTORC1-Signaling Pathway
  10. "KOFST 한국과학기술단체총연합회". Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  11. NAS Award : Activities : The National Academy Of Sciences Republic Of Korea
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