Kim received her Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Cecilia Moens at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where she studied the genetics of hindbrain motor neuron specification and cellular behavior. Her interest in limb development and the diversity of form in animals drew her to a postdoctoral position with Dr. Cliff Tabin in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Kim has received numerous awards, including the Searle Scholar Award, Pew Biomedical Scholar Award, and Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching.