Personal profile
Education
ㅇ 1982 - 1986 BS, Dept of Pharmacol, Busan National University, Korea.
ㅇ 1986 - 1988 MS, Dept of Biol Eng, KAIST, Korea.
ㅇ 1991 - 1994 PhD, Dept of Pharmacol and Toxicol, Michigan State University.
ㅇ 1986 - 1988 MS, Dept of Biol Eng, KAIST, Korea.
ㅇ 1991 - 1994 PhD, Dept of Pharmacol and Toxicol, Michigan State University.
Professional Experience
ㅇ 1988 - 1991 Research Associate, Kor Res Inst Biosci & Biotechnol, Korea
ㅇ 1995 - 1997 Postdoc, Dept of Neurobiol and Howard Hughes Med Inst, Harvard Univ.
ㅇ 1997 - 2000 Assistant Professor, Dept of Pharmacol, Busan Natl Univ, Korea.
ㅇ 2000 - present Assistant, Associate, & Full Professor, Dept of Biol Sci, KAIST, Korea.
ㅇ 2003 - 2012 Director, Natl Creative Research Initiative Center for Synaptogenesis, Korea.
ㅇ 2012 - present Director, Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, IBS, Korea.
ㅇ 1995 - 1997 Postdoc, Dept of Neurobiol and Howard Hughes Med Inst, Harvard Univ.
ㅇ 1997 - 2000 Assistant Professor, Dept of Pharmacol, Busan Natl Univ, Korea.
ㅇ 2000 - present Assistant, Associate, & Full Professor, Dept of Biol Sci, KAIST, Korea.
ㅇ 2003 - 2012 Director, Natl Creative Research Initiative Center for Synaptogenesis, Korea.
ㅇ 2012 - present Director, Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, IBS, Korea.
Research interests
Our lab will explore the mechanisms underlying various neuropsychiatric disorders by focusing on defects in synaptic development, structure, function, and plasticity, and also abnormalities in neural circuits at the brain system level. These key mechanisms will help us better diagnose and treat mental illnesses and eventually understand higher brain functions that lie on the flip sides of mental illnesses, including consciousness, attention, intellect, sociability, and emotion.
Major Research Achievements
ㅇ (2022). Early postnatal serotonin modulation prevents adult-stage deficits in Arid1b-deficient mice through synaptic transcriptional reprogramming. Nat Commun 13:5051.
ㅇ (2021). Tanc2-mediated mTOR inhibition balances mTORC1/2 signaling in the developing mouse brain and human neurons. Nat Commun 12:2695.
ㅇ (2021). Excitatory synapses and gap junctions cooperate to improve Pv neuronal burst firing and cortical social cognition in Shank2-mutant mice. Nat Commun 12:5116.
ㅇ (2021). SLC6A20 transporter: a novel regulator of brain glycine homeostasis and NMDAR function. EMBO Mol Med 13:e12632.
ㅇ (2019). Early correction of NMDAR function improves autistic-like behaviors in adult Shank2–/– mice. Biol Psych 85:534-543. (Highlighted in ‘Commentary’)
ㅇ (2021). Tanc2-mediated mTOR inhibition balances mTORC1/2 signaling in the developing mouse brain and human neurons. Nat Commun 12:2695.
ㅇ (2021). Excitatory synapses and gap junctions cooperate to improve Pv neuronal burst firing and cortical social cognition in Shank2-mutant mice. Nat Commun 12:5116.
ㅇ (2021). SLC6A20 transporter: a novel regulator of brain glycine homeostasis and NMDAR function. EMBO Mol Med 13:e12632.
ㅇ (2019). Early correction of NMDAR function improves autistic-like behaviors in adult Shank2–/– mice. Biol Psych 85:534-543. (Highlighted in ‘Commentary’)
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Aberrant mRNA splicing and impaired hippocampal neurogenesis in Grin2b mutant mice
Farsi, Z., Nicolella, A., Simmons, S. K., Shin, W., Kang, M., Lee, G., Kwon, M. J., Brenner, K. S., Picard, I., Shepard, N., Misri, D., Perzel Mandell, K. A., Levin, J. Z., Kim, E. & Sheng, M., 20 Feb 2026, In: iScience. 29, 2, 114700.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The traffic controller: GARLH4 dictates neuroligin synapse-type preference
Kim, E., 2 Feb 2026, In: Journal of Cell Biology. 225, 2Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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A compendium of human gene functions derived from evolutionary modelling
Gene Ontology Consortium, Zebrafish Information Network (ZFIN), Xenbase, WormBase, UniProt Consortium (EMBL-EBI), UniProt Consortium (Swiss-Prot Group), The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR), SynGO Consortium, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Rat Genome Database, Reactome, PomBase, Mouse Genome Informatics, Functional Gene Annotation UCL, FlyBase, Evidence and Conclusion Ontology, dictyBase & CACAO/EcoliWiki, 3 Apr 2025, In: Nature. 640, 8057, p. 146-154 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access15 Scopus citations -
Alternatively spliced mini-exon B in PTPδ regulates excitatory synapses through cell-type-specific trans-synaptic PTPδ-IL1RAP interaction
Kim, S., Shin, J. J., Kang, M., Yang, Y., Cho, Y. S., Paik, H., Kim, J., Yi, Y., Lee, S., Koo, H. Y., Bok, J., Bae, Y. C., Kim, J. Y. & Kim, E., Dec 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 4415.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Scopus citations -
Correction to: Evaluation of familial phenotype deviation to measure the impact of de novo mutations in autism (Genome Medicine, (2025), 17, 1, (93), 10.1186/s13073-025-01532-7)
Kim, S. W., Lee, H., Song, D. Y., Lee, G. H., Han, J. H., Lee, J. W., Byun, H. J., Son, J. H., Kim, Y. R., Lee, Y., Kim, E., Werling, D. M., Kim, S. H., Sanders, S. J., Yoo, H. J. & An, J. Y., Dec 2025, In: Genome Medicine. 17, 1, 99.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open Access
Press/Media
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New Findings from Institute for Basic Science in the Area of Genetics Described (Genetic background determines synaptic phenotypes in Arid1b-mutant mice)
22/03/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Provide Details of New Studies and Findings in the Area of Mental Health (Adnp-mutant Mice With Cognitive Inflexibility, Camkii Alpha Hyperactivity, and Synaptic ...)
Kim, E., Kim, H.-J., Kim, Y.-J., Kim, H. J., Kim, H. S., Kim, H. J., Kim, Y. C., Kim, Y.-G., Kim, H. & Kim, H. U.
17/08/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Recent Findings from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Has Provided New Information about Muscle Proteins (Adolescent Parvalbumin Expression In the Left Orbitofrontal Cortex In Female Mice)
Jeong, J.-W., Kim, E., Kim, H.-J., Kim, S.-G., Kim, H. J., Lee, S.-H., Kim, H. S., Kim, H. J., Lee, H.-S. & Kim, H. U.
14/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media
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Dynamics and nanoscale organization of the postsynaptic endocytic zone at excitatory synapses
24/01/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media