College of Medicine
Office of the Dean
Dr. Karen Kim
Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023.
As the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research, Dr. Kim leads the College of Medicine’s education, research, and clinical missions, the culture of innovation, and is focused on enhancing team-based interdisciplinary collaboration across the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, the University at large and across commonwealth campuses.
As Physician in Chief, Dr. Kim plays a critical role in shaping the academic health system.
In addition to being dean, 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 community-academic partnership, Dr. Kim is a national leader in public policies for the inclusion of Asian Americans and underserved populations in research.
Prior to joining Penn State, Dr. Kim served as the Vice Provost for Research and Senior Research Officer at the University of Chicago, the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Chair and Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her tenure as Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kim collaborated with divisions, schools, centers and institutes across the University and national laboratories to establish strategic research priorities, significantly increase interdisciplinary research and funding success and to enhance broader impact through inclusive innovation.
Dr. Kim brings extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention design, and minority health research. Her work has been recognized and supported through collaborations with leading federal agencies and national initiatives, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute’s Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, and the National Institutes of Health. She has led the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across both urban and rural communities and has advanced innovative, technology-enabled solutions to address gaps in care delivery among federally qualified health centers and rural populations.
In addition to her research, Dr. Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Dr. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award, and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.
She is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Medical Association, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American Public Health Association.
She is the College’s first female dean and the only Korean-American to hold such a title nationally.