48194-Lim, Kenneth
Faculty

Kenneth Lim, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Email kjlim@iu.edu
Address
R2 202
NEPH
IN
Indianapolis, IN
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Bio

Ken Lim, M.D., Ph.D., M.Phil., F.A.S.N., F.A.H.A., is an American Physician-Scientist, Nephrologist and Entrepreneur. He holds appointments as Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), and Attending Physician at IU Health. Prior to joining the faculty at IUSM in 2020, he spent over 10 years at Harvard Medical School and affiliated major teaching hospitals, later becoming Attending Physician at The Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. In 2022, he was named by the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) to the Forty Under 40 Award for his contributions to medicine and work in healthcare-related issues of humanitarian crises.

The mission of his work is to create potential solutions to challenging issues of humanitarian need in healthcare and human suffering through innovative research, entrepreneurship and the delivery of medical care beyond borders. He is a clinical trialist and translational scientist, and leads a research group at IUSM that focuses on the development and delivery of definitive trials in patients with kidney failure and cardiovascular complications, and the development of advanced therapeutics. He founded the first Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) laboratory dedicated to the study of patients with kidney disease in the United States. He continues to be engaged in starting new companies at the forefront of innovation to bring sustainable impact, and translational strategies for taking biological discoveries into early phase exploratory trials. 

Dr. Lim has deployed to regions around the world to provide leading medical care and strategic principles to help meet critical needs of victims of humanitarian crises, such as war, poverty and natural disasters. He has served as strategic advisor or consultant to leaders from diverse sectors, he has held offices of leadership on numerous boards and has appeared on various television and media programs. He is a graduate of The University of Cambridge (Christ’s College) and The University of Warwick in England.

Titles & Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Medicine
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology
  • Attending Physician | Indiana University Health
  • Principal Investigator | The Lim Laboratory
  • Affiliate Faculty, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Member, Krannert Cardiovascular Research Center (KCRC)
  • Member, Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health (ICMH)
  • Education
    2018 FEL Nephrology Fellowship , Massachusetts General Hospital
    2018 FEL Clinical Fellow in Medicine , Harvard Medical School
    2018 FEL Nephrology Fellowship , Brigham and Women's Hospital
    2018 MSC University of Cambridge
    2015 RES Internal Medicine Residency, Oregon Health & Science University
    2012 PhD University of Warwick
    2008 MD University of Warwick
    2004 BSC Coventry University
  • Research

    The mission of The Lim Laboratory is to help develop and deliver definitive trials in the area of cardiovascular disease in patients with kidney failure, and to be an incubator for the development of advanced therapeutics. We integrate multidisciplinary approaches at the interface of translational and clinical research for improved patient care. 

    Our primary R&D platform focuses on therapeutic strategies for targeting cardiovascular disease in kidney failure, a current global health crisis. This capitalizes on our platform technologies, and translational & commercialization strategies in our group that accelerate entry of biological discoveries into early phase trials. We have an emphasis on multidisciplinary collaborations with projects that draw from an international talent pool. The process of innovation leverages on our relationships and networks with industry and beyond.

     

    One of the major platform technologies in our clinical research lab focuses on the use of state-of-the-art Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) technology, a robust and powerful technology that can accurately and reproducibly assess cardiovascular functional capacity. We are at the forefront of efforts to introduce CPET technology into the field of nephrology. The potential exists for CPET indices such as VO2Peak to be used as a new endpoint for cardiovascular trials in nephrology which can help overcome current challenges in cardio-renal trials methodologies. The technology has the potential to help move the cardio-renal field forward.

     

    Our wet lab specializes in translational research that focuses on the discovery and development of peptide therapeutics for cardiac disorders in kidney failure and beyond. We lead several exciting translational research studies using multidisciplinary approaches in cell and molecular biology, bioengineering and human tissue research. We take the approach of integrating our translational wet lab and clinical research efforts, and this stimulates multi-disciplinary collaboration on projects that support each other.

  • Professional Organizations
    American Heart Association
    American Society of Nephrology
    International Society of Nephrology
    Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
  • Board Certifications
    American Board of Internal Medicine - Internal Medicine
  • Clinical Interests
    Cardio-Nephrology
    Cardiorenal Syndrome
    Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
    Hemodialysis 
    End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD)
    Disaster Medicine/Nephrology 

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