42775-Kim, Byungwook (BK)

Byungwook (BK) Kim, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Medical & Molecular Genetics

Phone
(317) 278-6353
Address
NB 108
MMGE
IN
Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Dr. Kim earned his MS degree in 2010 and completed his PhD in 2014, both from KonKuk University in Korea. During his predoctoral training, he investigated the development of immune-based therapeutics to treat neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on Parkinson's disease (PD). During his initial postdoctoral training in Korea, his research continued to focus on neuroinflammation and glia-mediated pathogenesis in PD. In this role, he conducted research utilizing post-mortem brain tissues from PD patients and mouse models of PD, including neurotoxin models such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA).

In 2016, Dr. Kim joined Dr. Jungsu Kim's laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, as a postdoctoral researcher. This move allowed him to broaden his expertise in neurodegenerative diseases by shifting his focus to Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. He then transitioned with Dr. Jungsu Kim's laboratory to the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2018.

Dr. Byungwook Kim now serves as an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. His current research endeavors are dedicated to understanding the roles of microRNAs, the AD genetic risk factor SPI1, and lipid-regulating proteins in the pathogenesis of AD.

Key Publications

1.             Cho DY, Han JH, Kim IS, et al. (2025). The acetyltransferase GCN5 contributes to neuroinflammation in mice by acetylating and activating the NF-κB subunit p65 in microglia. Sci Signal. 2025 Mar 4;18(876):eadp8973. (*Co-Corresponding author) https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/scisignal.adp8973

2.             Tate M, Wijeratne HRS, Kim B, et al. (2024). Deletion of miR-33, a regulator of the ABCA1-APOE pathway, ameliorates neuropathological phenotypes in APP/PS1 mice. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Nov;20(11):7805-7818. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.14243

3.             Dabin LC$, Kersey H$, Kim B, et al.  (2024). Loss of Inpp5d has disease-relevant and sex-specific effects on glial transcriptomes. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Aug;20(8):5311-5323. ($Co-first author) https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13901

4.             Kim B, Dabin LC#, Tate MD#, et al. (2024). Effects of SPI1-mediated transcriptome remodeling on Alzheimer’s disease-related phenotypes in mouse models of Aβ amyloidosis. Nat Commun. 2024 May 11;15(1):3996. (#Co-second author) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48484-x

5.             Lancaster MS, Kim B, Doud EH, et al. (2023). Loss of succinyl-CoA synthetase in mouse forebrain results in hypersuccinylation with perturbed neuronal transcription and metabolism. Cell Rep. 2023 Oct 31;42(10):113241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113241

6.             Acri DJ, You Y, Tate MD, et al. (2023). Network analysis identifies strain-dependent response to tau and tau seeding-associated genes. J Exp Med. 2023 Nov 6; 220(11): e20230180. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20230180

7.             Karahan H, Smith DC, Kim B, et al. (2023). The effect of Abi3 locus deletion on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies. Front. Immunol. 2023 Feb 21; Vol 14. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1102530

8.             Karahan H, Smith DC, Kim B, et al.  (2021). Deletion of Abi3 gene locus exacerbates neuropathological features of Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model of Aβ amyloidosis. Sci Adv. 2021 Nov 5;7(45):eabe3954. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34731000/

9.             Kim B$, Park JY$, Cho DY$, et al. (2020) 2-(5-(4-Chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-oxoacetamide (CDMPO) has anti-inflammatory properties in microglial cells and prevents neuronal and behavioral deficits in MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Neuropharmacology. 2020 Apr;166:107928. ($Co-first author) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31887307

10.         Ganesan P$, Kim B$, Ramalaingam P$, et al. (2019) Antineuroinflammatory Activities and Neurotoxicological Assessment of Curcumin Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles on LPS-Stimulated BV-2 Microglia Cell Models. Molecules. 2019 Mar 25;24(6):1170. ($Co-first author) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30934561

11.         Kim BW, Jeong KH, Kim JH, et al. (2016) Pathogenic upregulation of glial lipocalin-2 in Parkinsonian dopaminergic system. J Neurosci. 36(20):5608-22. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27194339

12.         Kim BW, Sandeep M, Yun YS, et al. (2016) A novel synthetic compound MCAP suppresses LPS-induced murine microglial activation in vitro via inhibiting NF-kB and p38 MAPK pathways. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 37:334-43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26838070

13.         Kim BW, Koppula S, Kumar H, et al. (2015) α-Asarone attenuates microglia mediated neuroinflammation by inhibiting NF-?B activation and mitigates MPTP-intoxicated behavioral deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Neuropharmacology. 97:46-57. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25983275

14.         Kim BW, Koppula S, Park SY, et al. (2015) Attenuation of neuroinflammatory responses and behavioral deficits by Ligusticum officinale (Makino) Kitag in stimulated microglia and MPTP-induced mouse model of Parkinson?s disease. J Ethnopharmacol. 164:388-97. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25449453

15.         Kim BW, Koppula S, Park SY, et al. (2014) Attenuation of inflammatory-mediated neurotoxicity by Saururus chinensis extract in LPS-induced BV-2 microglia cells via regulation of NF-κB signaling and anti-oxidant properties. BMC Complement Altern Med. 14(1):502. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25514974

16.         Kumar H, Kim IS, More SV, et al (2014) Natural product-derived pharmacological modulators of Nrf2/ARE pathway for chronic diseases. Nat Prod Rep. 31(1):109-39. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24292194

17.         Kim BW, Koppula S, Hong SS, et al. (2013) Regulation of microglia activity by glaucocalyxin-A: attenuation of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated neuroinflammation through NF-κB and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. PLoS One. 8(2):e55792. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23393601 

18.         Jin M$, Kim BW$, Koppula S, et al. (2012) Molecular effects of activated BV-2 microglia by mitochondrial toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium. Neurotoxicology. 33(2):147-55. ($Co-first author) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22281204

19.         Kim BW, Koppula S, Kim JW, et al. (2012) Modulation of LPS-stimulated neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglia by Gastrodia elata: 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol is the bioactive candidate. J Ethnopharmacol. 139(2):549-57. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22155394

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