Dr. V. Narry Kim is a distinguished molecular biologist and leading authority in RNA research whose pioneering work has transformed our understanding of gene regulation mechanisms. She currently serves as a SNU Distinguished Professor at Seoul National University and Director of the Center for RNA Research at the Institute for Basic Science. Born in South Korea in 1969, Dr. Kim earned her BA and MS degrees in Microbiology from Seoul National University before completing her DPhil in Biochemistry at Oxford University. After postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania under Gideon Dreyfuss, she returned to Seoul National University in 2001, rapidly ascending through the academic ranks to become a full professor in 2013 and receiving the prestigious SNU Distinguished Professor title in 2017.
Dr. Kim's groundbreaking research on microRNA biogenesis has laid the foundation for modern understanding of RNA-mediated gene regulation, with her seminal 2003 Nature paper identifying Drosha as the nuclear RNase III that initiates microRNA processing becoming a cornerstone of the field. Her laboratory has made significant contributions to deciphering the molecular mechanisms of microRNA maturation and function across diverse biological systems including stem cells, cancer, and neuronal cells. Notably, her team developed innovative technology to eliminate specific microRNAs, which when applied to cancer cells resulted in dramatically reduced proliferation rates, opening new avenues for therapeutic interventions. During the global pandemic, her research pivoted to coronavirus RNA replication mechanisms, providing crucial insights that have informed the development of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.
Beyond her research achievements, Dr. Kim has received numerous prestigious honors including the L'Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science and the Ho-Am Prize in Medicine, and was elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 2021. She serves on the editorial boards of multiple leading journals and has been instrumental in organizing major international conferences on RNA biology, helping to shape the global research agenda in this field. As Director of the Center for RNA Research, she has built a world-class interdisciplinary team that continues to push the boundaries of RNA science across diverse biological contexts from viruses to human cells. Her current work focuses on harnessing RNA biology for therapeutic applications, particularly in developing improved mRNA vaccines and creating novel approaches to target RNA pathways in cancer and viral diseases, positioning her laboratory at the forefront of both fundamental discovery and translational impact.
