Joon W. (Simon) Shim, PhD

2009 Mentored Young Investigator Award Recipient

TITLE: Visiting Faculty, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

STUDY TITLE: The role of angiogenesis in hydrocephalus. 

 

Overview:

During the time of his grant, Dr. Shim was a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital of Boston. From Boston, Dr. Shim moved to Indianapolis where he was a postdoctoral fellow and then a research assistant professor in bioengineering at IUPUI. In 2014, Dr. Shim became a visiting faculty member at IUPUI and is still conducting hydrocephalus research.  Dr. Shim received a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.E. in thermo fluid mechanics from Soongsil University Seould South Korea, an M.S. in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Mississippi State University.

Angiogenesis is the process of forming new blood vessels.  It is essential for development and repair within the body. However, as a powerful physiological process, it can also, for example, be the transition from a tumor being benign to malignant. For this reason, angiogenesis has been linked to diseases including cancer, autoimmune diseases, age-related macular degeneration and atherosclerosis.  The most common pro-angiogenic factor is vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF).  Dr. Shim’s study had three main aims: (1) quantify the level of VEGF in hydrocephalic patients; (2) determine if infusion of VEGF into mice causes hydrocephalus; and (3) determine if infusion of anti-VEGF antibodies (bevacizumab) blocked ventriculomegaly.

MENTOR: Joseph Madsen, MD