Chung Sub Kim, PhD

Assistant Professor
drkimDept. of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine
Medical College of Georgia

E-mail address: ckim5@augusta.edu
Office phone:  (706) 721-7692

Mailing address:

Dept. of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine
1120 15th Street, Rm. CA3000
Medical College of Georgia at Â鶹AV
Â鶹AV, GA 30901

Education:

2006-2011   PhD in Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, TX

2001-2003   MS in Medical Science, Yonsei University, South Korea

1996-2001   BS in Microbiology, Inje University, South Korea

Training:

01/2012 - 04/2020   Postdoctoral fellow, Dept. of Neuroscience, Univ. of Texas at Austin, TX

 

Research

The Kim Lab investigates how severe stress and psychological trauma reshape hippocampal circuits to produce divergent behavioral outcomes, including resilience, susceptibility, social avoidance, fear-related dysfunction, and cognitive changes. A major focus of our work is understanding how stress alters hippocampal CA1 neuronal and circuit function and identifying mechanisms that promote recovery.

We integrate behavioral neuroscience with ex vivo electrophysiology, molecular and viral approaches, fiber photometry, wireless local field potential recordings, and circuit manipulation. Current studies examine cellular and circuit mechanisms of stress resilience and susceptibility, longitudinal changes in hippocampal activity after trauma, and behavioral, pharmacological, and circuit-based approaches to restore dysfunctional neural systems.

Current Research Themes

  • Stress resilience and susceptibility
  • Hippocampal cellular and circuit mechanisms
  • Neural mechanisms of recovery and therapeutic intervention

Research Team 

photo of Mish Lad

Mish Lad

  • PhD Student

Intergenerational transmission of stress susceptibility and hippocampal circuit dysfunction.

photo of Jackson Banks

Jackson Banks

  • Research Staff

Traumatic stress models and hippocampal circuit dysfunction.

photo of Anne Kamau

Anne Kamau

  • MS Student

Hippocampal mechanisms associated with cognitive function and neural plasticity.

Naomi Wilson

  • Undergraduate Honors Student

Age- and sex-related changes in hippocampal cellular and molecular markers

Join the Kim Lab

We welcome inquiries from motivated graduate students, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral researchers interested in stress, behavior, hippocampal physiology, and systems/circuit neuroscience. Prospective trainees are encouraged to contact Dr. Kim at ckim5@augusta.edu.

Selected Publications

  1. Kim CS, Kim J, Michael S. Effects of post-stress corticosterone on hippocampal excitability and behavior involving hyperpolarization-activated cation channel 1 function. Translational Psychiatry (2026).
  2. Kim J, Michael S, Pokharel K, Kim CS. Hyperpolarization-activated channel 1 modulates resilience and susceptibility to social avoidance induced by witnessing social defeat stress. Biological Psychiatry (2025). Priority Communication | Expert Commentary | Special Issue
  3. Kim J, Lei Y, Lu XY, Kim CS. Glucocorticoid-glucocorticoid receptor-HCN1 channels reduce neuronal excitability in dorsal hippocampal CA1 neurons. Molecular Psychiatry (2022).
  4. Kim J, Pokharel K, Sandali M, Kim CS. Establishment of the mouse model of social avoidance induced by female-directed female aggression. Chronic Stress (2022).
  5. Kim CS, Johnston D. Antidepressant effects of (S)-ketamine through a reduction of hyperpolarization-activated current Ih. iScience (2020).
  6. Kim CS, Brager DH, Johnston D. Perisomatic changes in h-channels regulate depressive behaviors following chronic unpredictable stress. Molecular Psychiatry (2018).