Kim, MD, Named Chair in Gynecologic Oncology

An internationally prominent gynecologic oncologist, Kim is division director for Gynecologic Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and chairs its Committee for Oversight of Training and Education. He joined Cedars-Sinai in 2020 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, associate fellowship program director in the division of Gynecologic Oncology and director of Multispecialty Robotic Education and Training.

Kim considers his endowed chair appointment "pretty awe-inspiring. It's a true honor and great privilege and will help advance our mission in women's cancer, including increasing clinical trials, serving more patients and providing an even higher level of care." Adding, "We currently perform the most gynecologic cancer surgical cases in California and we're intent on building the best gynecology oncology program nationwide, focusing on research and training."

The Chair in Gynecologic Oncology that Kim now holds was established in 1995 through the fundraising efforts of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors (BOG). Since its founding in 1971, the BOG has become the primary fundraising and leadership development group at Cedars-Sinai.

Sarah Kilpatrick, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and associate dean for Faculty Development and Diversity, sees Kim as a strong fit for this BOG-funded chair.

"Dr Ken Kim is an internationally known academic gynecologic oncologist who specializes in robotic surgery and innovative methods to train residents, fellows and junior surgeons," Kilpatrick said. "In addition, he brings an incredibly collaborative and energetic spirit that makes him wonderful to work with. He definitely deserves the Board of Governors Chair in Gynecologic Oncology and will make all of us at Cedars-Sinai proud."

Kim plans to deploy support from the endowment on multiple fronts.

"I'd definitely like to add faculty to our top-notch team of experts, expand our geographic reach and generally take every facet of our operations to the next level," said Kim. "Research innovation is another top priority, and we have promising studies underway. I'm especially hopeful about a study to assess the efficacy of a self-collection home test for HPV that potentially could help identify this viral infection earlier for those with limited access to care. We have a lot in process right now. It's an exciting time."