Dr. Gha-hyun Jeffrey Kim has joined the University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences as an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice.
Dr. Kim was born in New York and grew up in Korea from the time he was seven years old. In 2012, he earned his BS in Biology from UC San Diego.
He holds both a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics from UC San Francisco, which he completed in 2016 and 2021, respectively.
“The UC system has a special place in my heart. Coming to UCSD for my undergraduate education was my first California experience!” he said. “I’ve spent my time at UCSD and UCSF, my sister is at UC Riverside, and now, I feel at home at UC Irvine.”
Before joining the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Kim was a scientist at the health technology company Color. His work has focused on drug discovery, pharmacogenomics, and health accessibility.
“My research goal is to contribute to drug discovery efforts for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s, and understand the biological mechanism of neuroprotection through molecular biology and informatics,” he explained. “As a clinician-scientist, I want UCI to be a pioneer in the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics — an essential step toward precision medicine.”
After studying and working in the Bay Area for many years, Dr. Kim is looking forward to continuing his research in the Kim Lab and familiarizing himself with Orange County and the UCI community.
“I am very excited to bring my expertise to the school and learn from all the talented faculty, staff, and students. It is an exciting time for the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences!” he said, also sharing that he is “currently accepting recommendations for the best pho, pour-over coffee, and Italian places in the Irvine area.”
Welcome to the team, Dr. Kim!
