Johnny Kim

Johnny Kim is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Medicine at Yale University, affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine. He directs the Department for Cardiovascular Therapeutics at the Institute of Translational Oncology (TRON) in Mainz, Germany, and is affiliated with institutions such as the Cardio Pulmonary Institute (CPI) and the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). His research focuses on stem cell biology, cell fate decisions, and epigenetic rejuvenation to combat cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and aging-related decline in regenerative potential.

Dr. Kim earned his PhD in 2008 from the Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg and conducted postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, leading his team there since 2013. His interdisciplinary work employs systems biology, advanced in-vitro models, and genetically engineered mice to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying cellular reprogramming and regeneration.

His research goals aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies against cardiovascular diseases and age-associated conditions by leveraging reactivation of early developmental programs. Recent work includes studies on DUXBL’s role in totipotency exit, fetal cardiomyocyte reprogramming for heart regeneration, and epigenetic drivers of oncogenesis in muscle stem cells.