Jihoon Kim

Jihoon Kim, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science at Yale School of Medicine. As a founding faculty member of the Section of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Dr. Kim leads innovative research at the intersection of bioinformatics, data science, and pediatric medicine. His work focuses on applying multi-omics approaches to understand complex diseases, particularly Kawasaki Disease (KD).

• Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (Primary Appointment)
• Faculty member of the Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
• Researcher at Human Genome Sciences

Dr. Kim earned his PhD from the University of California San Diego, an MS from the University of Wisconsin, and another MS from Seoul National University. His educational background provided the foundation for his expertise in bioinformatics and computational approaches to biomedical problems.

Dr. Kim's research interests center on developing and applying bioinformatics tools to understand the genetic and molecular basis of diseases, with particular focus on Kawasaki Disease. His work integrates DNA, RNA-Seq, microRNA, proteome, and metabolome data from the same patients, linked with electronic health records. He has developed several bioinformatics software tools and analysis pipelines using KD omics datasets, including the first whole genome sequencing of African KD families. His expertise extends to distributed computing environments, secure genomic data analysis, and federated learning approaches for multi-institutional studies. Dr. Kim also contributes to cancer research, inflammatory bowel disease studies, and COVID-19 data analysis through collaborative projects.

His publication record demonstrates expertise across multiple domains including bioinformatics tool development, multi-omics integration, genetic studies of rare diseases, and clinical applications of machine learning. Recent work shows increasing focus on privacy-preserving analytics, blockchain applications in healthcare, and addressing health disparities through data science approaches. His research spans pediatric diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and inflammatory disorders, with strong emphasis on translational applications.

• Rising Star Award at the 14th International Kawasaki Disease Symposium (February 2025)

Dr. Kim's research is supported by multiple NIH grants, The Gordon and Marilyn Macklin Foundation, and resources from Illumina. He collaborates extensively with clinicians and researchers across institutions, particularly with Dr. Jane Burns on Kawasaki Disease research and with Dr. Lucila Ohno-Machado on multiple projects including the All of Us research program. His work demonstrates successful translation of bioinformatics methods to address clinical challenges in rare diseases where patient samples are scarce and analysis methods are not well established.

As a founding faculty member of Yale's Section of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Dr. Kim contributes to building research infrastructure and collaborative networks focused on applying data science to biomedical challenges. His work bridges computational methods development with direct clinical applications, particularly in pediatric vasculitis research.