Seonil Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, was selected as a Boettcher Investigator and awarded a three-year $235,000 grant through the Boettcher Foundation’s 2019 Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program.

Kim’s lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying various brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, and HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder.

The Boettcher Foundation is an organization dedicated to assisting, encouraging, and promoting the general well-being of Colorado residents. Now in its 10th year, the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards program honors early-career researchers with grants to advance their independent research and position them to compete for major federal and private awards. “Our 10th class of Boettcher Investigators represents Colorado’s most dynamic emerging scientists who are committed to improving human health,” said Katie Kramer, president and CEO of the Boettcher Foundation.

Innovative Alzheimer’s disease research

This Boettcher Foundation award will allow Kim to continue his research to better understand the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, in order to help find novel therapeutic targets.

“Over the last few decades, current understanding of the physiological basis of memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease has remained limited and current FDA-approved drugs used to treat it aren’t very effective,” Kim said. He is excited to be working toward better solutions.

“Dr. Kim has worked very hard to establish new areas of neurobiology research that have ranged from new therapies for HIV related neurologic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and the physiology underlying behavior,” said Dr. Susan VandeWoude, associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We are pleased to have Dr. Kim as a member of our research faculty and he is highly deserving of this prestigious award.”