Karen Kim, MD, MS

Principal Investigator

Dr. Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023. Dr. Kim is a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research, curricular innovation and public policy. Her research focuses on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance cancer health equity among marginalized and vulnerable populations. As founder and director of the Center for Asian Health Equity-a community-academic partnership, Dr. Kim is a national leader on public policies for the inclusion of Asian-Americans and underserved populations in research. With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention and minority health research, Dr. Kim is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kim leads the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across urban and rural regions and has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in health care services among federally qualified community and rural health centers.