Dr. Yu Jung Kim
Assistant Professor
Yu Jung Kim received a B.S. in biochemistry in 1995, an M.S. in biochemistry in 1996, and a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 2002 from UC Riverside. After completing her Ph.D., she spent two years at UCR as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratories of Dr. Alex Raikhel, Dr. Peter Atkinson, and Dr. Thomas Miller. During this time, her research focused on the signal transduction pathways involved in controlling immune responses in mosquitoes and on the use of transposable elements for the genetic transformation of pest insects. Later, she worked with Dr. Barry Greenberg at the UC San Diego Medical School, where she studied the effects of a new drug on apoptosis and heart failure. Currently, she is investigating the biochemistry and genetics of how transposable elements move and cause various rearrangements in the genome. In particular, she is collaborating with Dr. Thomas Miller at UCR to study the transposition activity of a mariner-like element, which was recently isolated from the genome of the tobacco budworm. The goal of this project is to develop a mariner element that can be applied as a tool to genetically modify lepidopteran insects as part of a strategy for pest control.
Dr. Kim teaches biochemistry for nursing majors (Chemistry 308) and upper division biochemistry courses, including Chemistry 436, Chemistry 437, and Chemistry 438.