Alumni Spotlight on So-Youn Kim

Dr. So-Youn Kim, PhD completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. J. Larry Jameson and Dr. Teresa Woodruff at Northwestern. She then became an Research Assistant Professor in Dr. Woodruff's lab. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

What is your connection to the CRS community (mentor and position) and what is your current position? 

I got postdoctoral training at the laboratory of Dr. J. Larry Jameson in the Department of Endocrinology (2005-2008) and Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff (2008-2013) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and became a Research Assistant Professor in Dr. Woodruff’s laboratory (2013-2018). In 2018, I joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center as an Assistant Professor. 

Could you describe your current research?  

Fertility and normal endocrine function and homeostasis in women’s bodies through healthy ovaries are the main focuses of my laboratory. Our goal is to understand reproductive physiology and pathology to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Current topics of investigation include elucidating the pathways of oocyte death by gonadotoxic chemotherapeutic agents and developing fertoprotective agents.   

What aspect(s) of CRS did you find most valuable?  

I found the CRS community to be the most valuable to me after I left Northwestern University. I feel like CRS is a home. 

What has been the most valuable aspect to your training as a reproductive scientist in CRS? 

If I should say what I remember about CRS, it is R3 meeting at lunchtime every Wednesday. When I was at NU, the R3 meeting was the time to meet all people from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and some invited speakers from other schools or the Evanston campus and listen to what they were doing with different topics. That was like a mini-reproductive symposium. It made my eyes open to Reproductive biology.  

What would you recommend to junior scientists in order for them succeed in their scientific careers?​  

If I can recommend something to junior scientists, I can tell them to meet people in different areas or jobs and talk with them whenever you have a chance. Do not hesitate or be shy. Most the senior people would like to talk with you and tell you the ways to go.   

What do you think will be the next big contribution in the reproductive biology field? 

I think the next big contribution will be cryopreservation of the whole ovary and revive the functional ovary. Then, we can keep one side of the ovary in LN2 for future use and the other side in the body.  

Do you have any notable stories from your time in CRS? 

I do not have any specific notable stories in CRS now, but I remember that we had a big Christmas party in CRS every year.