Hope Scarves and the AACR are proud to announce the 2025 AACR-Hope Scarves Metastatic Breast Cancer Innovation and Discovery Grant. This grant mechanism aims to foster innovation and advance the translation of promising ideas in metastatic breast cancer research, including the exploration of potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers. By supporting efforts to bridge basic science with emerging treatment strategies, the grant also aims to foster the development of the next generation of cancer researchers.

2025 Grantee

Scientific Statement of Research 

Dr. Kim’s research focuses on developing next-generation engineered immune cell therapies and biomaterial-based technologies to treat disease. For cancer, her laboratory employs synthetic biology approaches to design immune cell therapies that can resist immunosuppression and more effectively target the tumor microenvironment. The Kim lab is also exploring in vivo engineering strategies using mRNA–lipid nanoparticles to program immune cells directly within the body, with the goal of making therapies more affordable and rapidly accessible to patients. By integrating immune cell engineering, biomaterials, and diverse testing platforms, Dr. Kim’s team aims to overcome key barriers in immunotherapy and advance innovative treatments toward clinical application. 

Biography 

Dr. Kim earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and her PhD in biomedical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, where she studied CAR-T cell engineering for nanoparticle delivery. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, advancing TCR-T cell therapies for solid tumors, before joining Mayo Clinic as faculty. She is now an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and immunology at Mayo Clinic Arizona. Her laboratory develops engineered immune cell therapies and biomaterial-based technologies for cancer and autoimmune diseases, aiming to create more affordable and rapidly available treatments. 

Acknowledgement of Support 

“I am deeply grateful to receive the 2025 AACR–Hope Scarves Metastatic Breast Cancer Innovation and Discovery Grant. This support enables my lab to expand into in vivo engineered immune cell therapies, aiming to develop effective and accessible treatments for breast cancer. I am honored to partner with AACR and Hope Scarves.”