Postdoctoral fellow Jinhwan Kim has been awarded the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Jinhwan is a researcher in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineer (ECE), the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and the Emory School of Medicine.

He is a member of the Ultrasound Imaging and Therapeutics Research Laboratory directed by ECE and BME professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Stanislav Emelianov. The research group utilizes a combination of ultrasound and other imaging techniques to solve complementary challenges in biomedical imaging, image-guided therapy, and bionanotechnology.

The significant K99/R00 award is, “intended to foster the development of a creative, independent research scientist who can establish and sustain a strong, independent research program.” It is expected that the awardee’s “Research Plan” be based on original ideas and/or hypotheses.

“I am very honored to have received this prestigious award,” said Jinhwan. “The opportunity will foster my transition from an investigator with a foundation in nanomaterials to one with a broader vision of applications to cell engineering and medical imaging.”

The multidisciplinary knowledge gained during the overall research and career training funded by the award will provide a foundation for Jinhwan to develop advanced applications of nanotechnology in innovative therapeutic approaches to treat cancer and other diseases. Through the award he will develop an image-guided therapy and activity monitoring/controlling system based on the combination of nanotechnology, ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging, and cell engineering to increase treatment precision and decrease side effects.

The K99/R00 Pathway award provides support for up to two-year postdoctoral mentored phase and a successive three-year independent phase as a principal investigator. The competitive award is a great complement for prospective faculty candidates. Current Georgia Tech faculty members who have won this award include Costas Arvanitis (Mechanical Engineering), Leslie Chan (BME), and Peter Kottke (Mechanical Engineering).

Jinhwan studied at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), South Korea, where he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry and bioengineering. During his Ph.D. studies, he developed theranostic nanomaterials that respond to specific stimuli, such as light, pH, and redox potential, thereby achieving high efficacy with low side effects. To further advance his scientific career he moved to Georgia Tech in 2018, implementing nanotechnology and exploiting nanomaterials’ functionalities for clinical translation.