Three School of Medicine students awarded 2018 Soros Fellowships

Three School of Medicine students were selected to receive a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, which supports graduate education for immigrants and the children of immigrants.

Samuel Kim

Three Stanford medical and graduate students are among the 30 people awarded 2018 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, which support graduate study for immigrants to the United States and their children.

Each of the Soros Fellows, who were selected from 1,766 applicants, will receive as much as $90,000 for tuition and living expenses in support of graduate education.

Samuel Kim is in the MD-PhD program. Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents from South Korea, Kim attended Princeton University, where he developed a technology to study epigenetics by combining chemical synthesis with CRISPR/Cas9 genome targeting.

At Stanford, Kim is working to understand unexplored elements of genome structure and to develop and deploy the necessary technologies to propel epigenomics into the clinic to address incurable diseases and provide personalized patient care. Kim will use the fellowship award to support his work toward an MD and a PhD in biomedical sciences.

Seul (Kathy) Ku

Seul (Kathy) Ku, a medical student, was born in South Korea, and immigrated to the Chicago suburbs with her family when she was 3. At Harvard University, Ku earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology and a master’s degree in engineering. Ku co-founded SPOUTS of Water, a manufacturer of ceramic water filters in Uganda that has provided access to clean drinking water to more than 100,000 people.

At Stanford, Ku manages a free health clinic and conducts cost-effectiveness research. She will use the fellowship award to support her work toward an MD at the School of Medicine and an MBA at Harvard Business School.

Chung-ha Davis

Chung-ha Davis, a graduate student, was born in South Korea and adopted by his aunt and uncle. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in neuroscience. There, he helped discover a new mode of intercellular communication in the nervous system called transmitophagy.

At Stanford, Davis is using molecular genetics and neuroscience to uncover more about the nervous system. He will use the fellowship award to support work toward a PhD in neuroscience.

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.

2023 ISSUE 3

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