We are so pleased to announce Baek Kim, PhD, RPh, has been appointed as the Schinazi Family Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Research! This is a very prestigious honor and we are so proud of Dr. Kim’s accomplishments and look forward to many continued successes to come.

In addition to being a Schinazi Distinguished Professor, Dr. Kim is also a Research Scholar at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Some of his previous appointments include Director of the Emory Center for Drug Discovery and Professor of Microbiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Kim received his PhD at the University of Arizona and his MS at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Washington.

One of Dr. Kim’s most important discoveries and work is focused on SAMHD1. Dr. Kim’s basic science research focuses on HIV-1, influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2. He is also actively involved in various drug discovery activities, especially targeting various cellular and viral enzymes related with viral infections, immune disorders, and cancers. He was trained in the biochemistry research field of the DNA-protein interactions, particularly with transcriptional repressors related with SOS DNA repair during doctoral training, and then with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerases involved in DNA repair and DNA replication during his postdoctoral training. Dr. Kim initiated his own research career using HIV-1 as a model to study roles of DNA polymerases in genomic mutagenesis and evolution, which was supported by NIGMS/Genetics and HIV/AIDS related research funding sources. He has also been involved in the enzymological understanding of viral RNA polymerases including influenza RNA polymerase complex and recently SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase.

Our department and pediatric community are extremely grateful for Ray Schinazi, PhD, and his many generous contributions including those in support of HSRB I and II and creating this professorship. Other Schinazi endowed appointments include:

• Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Biomedical Chair – Saul J. Karpen, MD, PhD
• Nahmias Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair – Stefan Sarafianos, PhD
• Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair in Jewish Bioethics – Paul Root Wolpe, PhD

In addition, we hold the Dr. Raymond Schinazi Distinguished Lectures annually.

We thank both Drs. Schinazi and Kim for making a mark in the scientific and broader communities we serve! Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kim for this very deserving professorship!