Jun Hee Kim is a synaptic neurophysiologist with broad-based training in electrophysiology, live-cell imaging and immunofluorescence imaging. The goal of Kim’s research program is to understand the mechanisms that regulate synaptic function and dysfunction related to CNS myelination during development of the auditory nervous system.

Kim became an independent investigator at UT Health San Antonio in 2010 and has since produced 13 research articles related to demyelination, axon terminal excitability and synaptic transmission in the auditory nervous system. These findings have led Kim to propose that neurons and oligodendrocytes bidirectionally communicate with high temporal and spatial resolution and that this is critical for proper brain functioning. Kim’s team is currently focused on elucidating the mechanisms and cellular processes underlying this process. They are also working on understanding how alterations in this process alter social behaviors and contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.