Our Team

Principal Investigator

Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR, FAAD

Physician-Scientist | Neuroimmunologist | Dermatologist | Inventor | Entrepreneurbrian.kim3@mountsinai.org 

 

Dr. Kim received his M.D. from the University of Washington, was a HHMI-NIH Scholar, completed residency in dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Master of Translational Research (MTR). The Kim Lab focuses on mechanisms that underlie skin inflammation and the sensation of itch as a fundamental, broad, model paradigm of neuroimmunology. Key discoveries include the first identification of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in the skin of both mice and humans, novel contributions of basophils, ILC2s, and natural killer (NK) cells to skin inflammation, and unveiling how immune cells and type 2 cytokines/JAK signaling directly influence sensory neuronal responses. He has >120 peer-reviewed publications, multiple NIH grants, designed pivotal clinical trials that led to novel FDA-approved treatments, and is an inventor of itch-centered technologies. His research has led to awards and funding from NIH, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, American Skin Association, American Academy of Dermatology, American Society for Clinical Investigation, American Dermatological Association, and International League of Dermatological Societies. He holds a patent for the use of JAK inhibitors for chronic itch. He is on the scientific advisory board for Abrax Japan, Granular Therapeutics, Recens Medical, National Eczema Association, and Cell Reports Medicine. He is on the editorial board of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, section editor for Journal of Immunology and on the board of reviewing editors for eLife.

Grant Administrator

Pam Gassner

Pamela has over 20 years of grant administration experience. She manages all aspects of federal, foundation, and sponsored research grant submissions. 

 

Email: Pamela.Gassner@mountsinai.org

Scientists

Kelsey Auyeung


Kelsey received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). She is an M.D. candidate at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 

Dr. Tamari is a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist from Jikei University in Tokyo, Japan. He is studying how cytokines regulate neuronal responses in the skin and lung. 

Lydia received her B.S. in Biology from Cornell University and aspires to go to graduate school. She is currently the lab manager of the Kim Lab. 

Karen G. Anthony, PhD

Karen obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Biology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Karen has extensive drug discovery experience in the biotech industry. She currently serves as the Director of Sponsored Research Program in Dr. Kim’s lab.

Rintaro Shibuya, MD, PhD

Dr. Shibuya received both his MD and PhD degrees at Kyoto where he worked with Dr. Kenji Kabashima. There, he worked as a dermatologist and studied skin immunology. His current interests involve studying interorgan communication between the skin and the lung focusing on neuro-immune axis.

Hisato Iriki, MD, PhD

Dr. Iriki received his medical degree from Keio University School of Medicine (Japan) in 2011. There, he went on to complete his junior residency training. While Dr. Iriki was training for his dermatology residency, he also earned his PhD.

Zhen Wang, MD, PhD

Dr. Wang is an anesthesiologist from Tianjin Medical University in Tianjin, China. He received both his MD and PhD degrees at Tianjin. He is studying neuro-immune interactions and the role of sensory nervous system in the visceral organs. He is a postdoctoral fellow in the Kim lab.

Alumni

Received MD/PhD from the University of Iowa and is currently studying neuroimmunologic mechanisms that underlie atopic disease. 

Instructor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Immunology. 

Research Nurse | Nancy is now residing in Wisconsin and is competing in CrossFit as a world-ranked competitor. 

PhD Student 

Madison Mack is now a scientist at Sanofi-Genzyme. 

MD/PhD Student 

Landon is currently applying for residency in neurology on the physician-scientist track. 

Postdoctoral Fellow 

Joy is now working as a postdoctoral fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. 

Amy Xu 

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Medical Fellow and MD/MA Student 

Dr. Yang received her MD/PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and is Instructor of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology. She is currently understanding the developmental pathways that regulate innate immune responses in skin inflammation. 

Postdoctoral Fellow 

Dr. Wang is an attending physician at First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangdong, China. She is currently pursuing her PhD degree and studying innate immune mechanisms that underlie atopic dermatitis in both mice and humans. 

MD/PhD Student 

Anna is a M.D./Ph.D. student in the MSTP program pursuing a Ph.D. in immunology. She is interested in understanding how the early mechanisms that drive itch in the setting of atopic dermatitis.