Our experience can trigger long-term changes in the strength of the connection between neurons in our brain and this persistent change in neural connections is how the brain stores information such as memory. 

Dr. Sang Jeong Kim focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of information storage and its related brain diseases. In more detail, he explores novel biochemical mechanisms which can understand neural function such as learning and memory and which can also control brain diseases such as pain. 

Cerebellar neural network is his model system to explore mechanisms of memory storage. He explores synaptic plasticity-related function of metabotropic glutamate receptors and transient receptor potential channel proteins in cerebellar Purkinje cells.

To understand underlying mechanism of clinical situation like pain, he also studies synaptic plasticity in the neural network of spinal dorsal horn which is critical in pain perception. 

He combines cutting-edge techniques such as patch clamping, Ca imaging, confocal microscopy, UV-photolysis and field/single unit recording from isolated neurons, brain slices and in-vivo animals. 

After his efforts and passion in his fields, he has published outstanding papers in major journals such as Nature, Neuron, and Journal of Neuroscience, etc, making over 300 score of the total impact factor during last five years. 

Last year, he has also published a comprehensive review article in Neuron suggesting that ubiquitous synaptic plasticity is necessary to account for the rich phenomenon of memory storage in the neural network. Dr. Kim has joined the editorial board of the Journal of Neurophysiology.