About My Research
Center/Research Area Affiliations
- AMD Center of Excellence
- Diabetic Eye Disease Center of Excellence
- Ocular Regenerative Medicine Institute
Biography
Dr. Kim is a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon. He has extensive clinical experience in the management of retinal diseases associated with pathologic angiogenesis and is devoted to understanding the mechanisms of vitreoretinal disease. A former NIH-sponsored K12 scholar, Dr. Kim is evaluating neovascular membranes obtained from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in order to understand the underlying mechanisms of aberrant retinal angiogenesis. He is also studying the cell biology of proliferative vitreretinopathy (PVR) membranes obtained from patients. Other areas of interest include retinal toxicities and their mechanisms of cell death, as well as computational modeling of oxygen distribution in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to predict conversion to wet AMD.
Education
2005: MD, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, Medical Scientist Training Program
Postgraduate Training
2009: Ophthalmology Residency, University of Southern California, Doheny Eye Institute
2011: Vitreoretinal Fellowship, University of Southern California, Doheny Eye Institute
Honors
2010: Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Fellow
2008: Heed Ophthalmic Foundation Residents Retreat
2008: Lillian and Henry Nesburn Award for Research Excellence
2008, 2007: Doheny Resident Travel Grant
2007: ARVO Travel Grant Award
2005: Selma and Karl Folkers Prize for Biomedical Research
- Changes in wider field swept-source OCT angiography vascular metrics with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in central retinal vein occlusion. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2024 Feb 20.
- Quantitative Contrast Sensitivity Function and the Effect of Aging in Healthy Adult Eyes: A Normative Database. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2024 Feb 01; 1-9.
- Characterizing Macular Neovascularization in Myopic Macular Degeneration and Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Swept Source OCTA. Clin Ophthalmol. 2023; 17:3855-3866.
- Analysis of Uveal Melanoma 5-Year Survival Rates by Medicaid Status: A Nationwide Analysis. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2023 Nov 15; 1-7.
- Widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography metrics associated with neovascular glaucoma in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023 Nov 14.
- Associations of quantitative contrast sensitivity with wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in retinal vein occlusion. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2024 Mar; 262(3):789-799.
- Comparative study of widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in eyes with concomitant age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 Oct 16.
- APOE Christchurch-mimetic therapeutic antibody reduces APOE-mediated toxicity and tau phosphorylation. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Feb; 20(2):819-836.
- SPONTANEOUS CLOSURE AND RECURRENT OPENING TIMES TWO OF A MACULAR HOLE IN A SURGICALLY NAIVE EYE. Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2023 Sep 01; 17(5):581-583.
- The forgotten protection factor: A nationwide score-based assessment of motorcycle eye protection legislation. J Safety Res. 2023 12; 87:407-415.
- The Use of Additional Facedown Positioning with Silicone Oil Tamponade for the Treatment of Retinal Re-detachment. Retin Cases Brief Rep. 2023 Jul 19.
- Structure-function associations between contrast sensitivity and widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in diabetic macular edema. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023 Nov; 261(11):3113-3124.
- Resilience to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in a Reelin-COLBOS heterozygous man. Nat Med. 2023 05; 29(5):1243-1252.
- Association Between Contrast Sensitivity and Central Subfield Thickness in Center-Involving Diabetic Macular Edema. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2023 May-Jun; 7(3):232-238.
- OUTCOMES OF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR FOLLOWING INFECTIOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS. Retina. 2023 04 01; 43(4):600-605.
- Real-Time Analysis of Bioenergetics in Primary Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Using High-Resolution Respirometry. J Vis Exp. 2023 02 03; (192).
- Divergent Metabolomic Signatures of TGFß2 and TNFa in the Induction of Retinal Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Metabolites. 2023 Jan 31; 13(2).
- Prevalence of venous loops and association with retinal ischemia in diabetic retinopathy using widefield swept-source OCT angiography. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023 Jul; 261(7):1861-1870.
- Dose-Dependent and Reversible Serous Retinal Detachments in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor-Associated Retinopathy. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2023 Jun; 54(6):368-370.
- Structure-function association between contrast sensitivity and retinal thickness (total, regional, and individual retinal layer) in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2023 Mar; 261(3):631-639.
- The Effect of Sample Medication Use on Subsequent Anti-VEGF Agent Selection for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Semin Ophthalmol. 2022 Oct-Nov; 37(7-8):902-908.
- Sex-Specific Changes in Choroid Vasculature Among Patients with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022; 16:2363-2371.
- Dimethyl Fumarate Blocks Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha-Driven Inflammation and Metabolic Rewiring in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Front Mol Neurosci. 2022; 15:896786.
- SARS-CoV-2 RNA Detected in Vitreous Samples Obtained at Autopsy. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2022 May-Jun; 6(3):183-187.
- Topical Nanoemulsion of a Runt-related Transcription Factor 1 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Pathologic Ocular Angiogenesis. Ophthalmol Sci. 2022 Sep; 2(3).
- Adeno-associated Viral Vectors in the Retina: Delivering Gene Therapy to the Right Destination. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2022 Apr 01; 62(2):215-229.
- Nonperfusion Area and Other Vascular Metrics by Wider Field Swept-Source OCT Angiography as Biomarkers of Diabetic Retinopathy Severity. Ophthalmol Sci. 2022 Jun; 2(2).
- Quantitative contrast sensitivity test to assess visual function in central serous chorioretinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 08; 107(8):1139-1143.
- Hypopyon and White Cataract Due to an Intraocular Helminth. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2022 03; 53(3):168-171.
- Quantifying Retinal Microvascular Morphology in Schizophrenia Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography. Schizophr Bull. 2022 01 21; 48(1):80-89.
- Intravitreal Pharmacotherapies for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2022 01; 129(1):88-99.
- Wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in the assessment of retinal microvasculature and choroidal thickness in patients with myopia. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023 01; 107(1):102-108.
- Measuring the Contrast Sensitivity Function in Non-Neovascular and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Quantitative Contrast Sensitivity Function Test. J Clin Med. 2021 Jun 24; 10(13).
- Understanding the Role of Blood Vessels in the Neurologic Manifestations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Am J Pathol. 2021 11; 191(11):1946-1954.
- Targeting Runt-Related Transcription Factor 1 Prevents Pulmonary Fibrosis and Reduces Expression of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Host Mediators. Am J Pathol. 2021 07; 191(7):1193-1208.
- Single-cell RNA sequencing: An overview for the ophthalmologist. Semin Ophthalmol. 2021 May 19; 36(4):191-197.
- Widefield Swept-Source OCT Angiography Metrics Associated with the Development of Diabetic Vitreous Hemorrhage: A Prospective Study. Ophthalmology. 2021 09; 128(9):1312-1324.
- Contrast sensitivity function in patients with macular disease and good visual acuity. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 06; 106(6):839-844.
- West Nile Virus Chorioretinitis in the Presence of Negative Cerebrospinal Fluid Polymerase Chain Reaction Results. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2021 Nov-Dec; 5(6):513-519.
- Retinal Imaging Findings in Carriers With PSEN1-Associated Early-Onset Familial Alzheimer Disease Before Onset of Cognitive Symptoms. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021 01 01; 139(1):49-56.
- Detection of neovascularisation in the vitreoretinal interface slab using widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in diabetic retinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 04; 106(4):534-539.
- Treatment of Experimental Choroidal Neovascularization via RUNX1 Inhibition. Am J Pathol. 2021 03; 191(3):418-424.
- Topical delivery of a small molecule RUNX1 transcription factor inhibitor for the treatment of proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Sci Rep. 2020 11 30; 10(1):20554.
- Open Globe Injury with Intraocular Foreign Body. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2021 Jul 01; 5(4):288-294.
- Active Learning of Contrast Sensitivity to Assess Visual Function in Macula-off Retinal Detachment. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2021 Jul 01; 5(4):313-320.
- TNF-a signaling regulates RUNX1 function in endothelial cells. FASEB J. 2021 02; 35(2):e21155.
- Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor-Associated Retinopathy. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2020 10 01; 138(10):1101-1103.
- A quantitative comparison of four optical coherence tomography angiography devices in healthy eyes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2021 Jun; 259(6):1493-1501.
- Outcomes of primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair with extensive scleral-depressed vitreous removal and dynamic examination. PLoS One. 2020; 15(9):e0239138.
- PYK-1105: Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Biodegradable Vitreous Substitute for Retinal Tamponade. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2021 Jan-Feb; 5(1):32-39.
- Characterization of a Murine Model of Oxazolone-Induced Orbital Inflammation. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2020 07; 9(8):26.
- Measuring Contrast Sensitivity Function With Active Learning in Retinal Vein Occlusion: A New Endpoint of Visual Function. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2020 07 01; 51(7):392-400.
- Comparison of widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography with ultra-widefield colour fundus photography and fluorescein angiography for detection of lesions in diabetic retinopathy. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 04; 105(4):577-581.
- Retinal Microvasculature Changes After Repair of Macula-off Retinal Detachment Assessed with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography. Clin Ophthalmol. 2020; 14:1759-1767.
- Different Scan Protocols Affect the Detection Rates of Diabetic Retinopathy Lesions by Wide-Field Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography. Am J Ophthalmol. 2020 07; 215:72-80.
- Retinal layer abnormalities and their association with clinical and brain measures in psychotic disorders: A preliminary study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2020 05 30; 299:111061.
- American Society of Retina Specialists Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Nonproliferative and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy without Diabetic Macular Edema. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2020 Mar 01; 4(2):125-135.
- A Meta-analysis of Retinal Cytoarchitectural Abnormalities in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Schizophr Bull. 2020 01 04; 46(1):43-53.
- The History of Visualization in Vitrectomy Surgery. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2020; 60(1):1-15.
- Imaging Artifacts and Segmentation Errors With Wide-Field Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Diabetic Retinopathy. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2019 Nov; 8(6):18.
- Resistance to autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease in an APOE3 Christchurch homozygote: a case report. Nat Med. 2019 11; 25(11):1680-1683.
- Computational modeling of retinal hypoxia and photoreceptor degeneration in patients with age-related macular degeneration. PLoS One. 2019; 14(6):e0216215.
- Characterization of Epiretinal Proliferation in Full-Thickness Macular Holes and Effects on Surgical Outcomes. Ophthalmol Retina. 2019 08; 3(8):694-702.
- Diabetic Retinopathy Assessment Variability Among Eye Care Providers in an Urban Teleophthalmology Program. Telemed J E Health. 2019 04; 25(4):301-308.
- Association Between Amyloid and Tau Accumulation in Young Adults With Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer Disease. JAMA Neurol. 2018 05 01; 75(5):548-556.
- Synthetic Adeno-Associated Viral Vector Efficiently Targets Mouse and Nonhuman Primate Retina In Vivo. Hum Gene Ther. 2018 07; 29(7):771-784.
- Management of Submacular Hemorrhage in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Ophthalmol Retina. 2018 03; 2(3):177-179.
- ACUTE POSTERIOR MULTIFOCAL PLACOID PIGMENT EPITHELIOPATHY ON OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY. Retina. 2017 Nov; 37(11):2084-2094.
- Effect of Methotrexate on an In Vitro Patient-Derived Model of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017 08 01; 58(10):3940-3949.
- Therapeutic antibody targeting of Notch3 signaling prevents mural cell loss in CADASIL. J Exp Med. 2017 Aug 07; 214(8):2271-2282.
- Whole exome sequencing identification of novel candidate genes in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Vision Res. 2017 10; 139:168-176.
- Identification of RUNX1 as a Mediator of Aberrant Retinal Angiogenesis. Diabetes. 2017 07; 66(7):1950-1956.
- Occult Perforating Globe Injury Caused by Intraocular Foreign Body. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016 12 01; 47(12):1162-1163.
- Drainage and analysis of suprachoroidal fluid in a patient with acute systemic lupus erythematous. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2017 Apr; 5:29-32.
- Small-Caliber Retinal Vasculitis Associated With Giant Cell Arteritis: A New Finding. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016 11 01; 47(11):1054-1056.
- Characteristics and Outcomes of Simultaneous Bilateral Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016 09 01; 47(9):840-5.
- Vascular Endothelial Cell Growth Factor A Acts via Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor a To Promote Viability of Cells Enduring Hypoxia. Mol Cell Biol. 2016 09 15; 36(18):2314-27.
- Orbital Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis in Thyroid Eye Disease: An Analysis of Vascular Growth Factors with Clinical Correlation. Ophthalmology. 2016 09; 123(9):2028-36.
- Long-term Follow-up and Outcomes in Traumatic Macular Holes. Am J Ophthalmol. 2016 06; 166:206-207.
- Long-term Follow-up and Outcomes in Traumatic Macular Holes. Am J Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec; 160(6):1255-1258.e1.
- Conversion to aflibercept for diabetic macular edema unresponsive to ranibizumab or bevacizumab. Clin Ophthalmol. 2015; 9:1715-8.
- Inhibition of the alternative complement pathway preserves photoreceptors after retinal injury. Sci Transl Med. 2015 Jul 22; 7(297):297ra116.
- Characterization of cells from patient-derived fibrovascular membranes in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Mol Vis. 2015; 21:673-87.
- Fully automated detection of diabetic macular edema and dry age-related macular degeneration from optical coherence tomography images. Biomed Opt Express. 2014 Oct 01; 5(10):3568-77.
- Retinal microangiopathy in a mouse model of inducible mural cell loss. Am J Pathol. 2014 Oct; 184(10):2618-26.
- Tamoxifen toxicity in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells is mediated by concurrent regulated cell death mechanisms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Jul 03; 55(8):4747-58.
- Ocriplasmin for treatment of stage 2 macular holes: early clinical results. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2014 Jul-Aug; 45(4):293-7.
- The role of genetics in the pathogenesis of periocular cutaneous neoplasms: implications for targeted therapy. Semin Ophthalmol. 2013 Sep-Nov; 28(5-6):267-74.
- Vascular endothelial growth factor is important for brown adipose tissue development and maintenance. FASEB J. 2013 Aug; 27(8):3257-71.
- Technical note: contrast solution density and cross section errors in inhomogeneity-corrected dose calculation for breast balloon brachytherapy. Med Phys. 2013 Jan; 40(1):011703.
- Clinical characteristics of a large choroideremia pedigree carrying a novel CHM mutation. Arch Ophthalmol. 2012 Sep; 130(9):1184-9.
- Angiofibrotic response to vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition in diabetic retinal detachment: report no. 1. Arch Ophthalmol. 2012 Sep; 130(9):1127-34.
- A brief history of anti-VEGF for the treatment of ocular angiogenesis. Am J Pathol. 2012 Aug; 181(2):376-9.
- Using respiratory motion to guide planning target volume margins for external beam partial breast irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Mar 15; 82(4):1303-6.
- High-dose-rate brachytherapy as monotherapy delivered in two fractions within one day for favorable/intermediate-risk prostate cancer: preliminary toxicity data. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Jul 01; 83(3):927-32.
- Modulatory influence of stimulus parameters on optokinetic head-tracking response. Neurosci Lett. 2010 Jul 26; 479(2):92-6.
- Melanin-laden macrophages in the CSF to diagnose Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada simulating ocular syphilis. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2008 Jan-Feb; 16(1):59-61.
- Three-dimensional structure of I(to); Kv4.2-KChIP2 ion channels by electron microscopy at 21 Angstrom resolution. Neuron. 2004 Feb 19; 41(4):513-9.
- Ito channels are octomeric complexes with four subunits of each Kv4.2 and K+ channel-interacting protein 2. J Biol Chem. 2004 Feb 13; 279(7):5549-54.
- Charybdotoxin binding in the I(Ks) pore demonstrates two MinK subunits in each channel complex. Neuron. 2003 Sep 25; 40(1):15-23.
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Runx1 as a Mediator of Aberrant Retinal Angiogenesis
Dr. Kim and colleagues recently identified the transcription factor Runx1 as a mediator of pathologic retinal angiogenesis in endothelial cells derived from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. They discovered that Runx1 affects endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Inhibition of Runx1 was found to inhibit aberrant angiogenesis in the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Future work will investigate the cell signaling mechanisms that mediate Runx1 activity.
Development of an in vitro Model of Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy
Dr. Kim and colleagues recently developed an in vitro model of proliferative vitreoretinopathy using patient-derived membranes. Using this model, they showed that methotrexate can affect cell proliferation and induce cell death. Ultimately, they hope to identify potential drugs that can regulate PVR, as well as explain the underlying cell biology of PVR membranes.
Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis in Thyroid Eye Disease
Dr. Kim and colleagues recently showed that the both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are active in patients with acute thyroid eye disease (TED) compared to patients with chronic TED. This suggests that there is active VEGF signaling in teh acute phase of the disease. Further work is being pursued to produce an animal model of orbital inflammation, which may be used to further understand the interplay between orbital inflammation and VEGF signaling.
Retinal Toxicities
We previously showed that multiple concurrent cell death mechanisms are involved in tamoxifen toxicity of the retinal pigment epithelium. We are currently attempting to understand the cell death mechanisms of chloroquine toxicity of the retina.
Patient-Specific Modeling of Oxygen Distribution for Predicting Retinal Degeneration
The primary objective of this research program is to understand the pathophysiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to understand how drusen affect outer retinal oxygenation. Currently, no methods exist to non-invasively measure oxygenation of the outer retina of patients. Dr. Kim and colleagues propose are testing the hypothesis that drusen-induced hypoxia of photoreceptors may be a significant factor contributing to the progression of AMD, and that the topography of drusen can be used to predict conversion from dry to wet AMD.