Bhumsoo Kim, PhD

Dr. Bhumsoo Kim is using cell culture and animal experimental models to examine how obesity and diabetes affect amyloid and tau proteins, two prominent pathological markers involved in the development and progression of AD. He is especially interested in how insulin resistance, a key component of the metabolic syndrome, contributes to AD. In cultured brain neurons, Dr. Kim has shown that high levels of glucose and fat, the two main factors involved in the development of diabetes and obesity, induce biochemical changes in amyloid and tau proteins that are similar to those seen in AD. In parallel, he has also shown that obesity and diabetes affect cognitive function in animal models. His continuing efforts are focused on identifying common factors affected by both metabolic syndrome and AD to support the development of more effective therapeutic approaches to treat both diseases.

• BS, Seoul National University, South Korea, 1986
• MS, Seoul National University, South Korea, 1988
• PhD, Neuroscience, University of Michigan, 1998
• Postdoctoral fellowship, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School
• Postdoctoral fellowship, Neurology, University of Michigan