Jaekyoon Kim, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa. I received my BS in Biochemistry from Yonsei University and MS in Biotechnology from Seoul National University. Then I received a PhD in Psychology along another MS working with Dr. Karyn Frick, widely considered a world expert on the effects of estrogens on the brain and cognition. This background has given me the important ability to assess neuroscience from both a Biomedical science perspective and a Psychology perspective. During my time learning Biochemistry and Biotechnology, I acquired a deep understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms and gained research experience in a broad range of biochemical techniques. In addition, I gained extensive expertise in a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and inflammatory disease. During my graduate studies with Dr. Frick, I developed a passion for brain research including the study of learning and memory using several memory-related behavior tasks and imaging techniques. Throughout the course of PhD, my studies were focused on sex steroid hormone effects, especially estrogen effects, on memory consolidation and I have become interested in sex difference in neurological disorders. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder with sex differences. One of most common genetic variations found associated within ASD is the deletion of the 16p11.2 chromosomal region, which can be faithfully modeled in mice. Using the 16p11.2 hemi-deletion mouse model, the Abel lab revealed male-specific impairments in the acquisition of reward-dependent goal-directed behaviors. Therefore, as a postdoc, I am using my neuroendocrinology background to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving sex-dependent behavioral alterations in models of neurodevelopmental disorders, including the 16p11.2 hemi-deletion mouse. I plan to use my postdoctoral research to propel me into a position as an independent researcher, where I will energetically pursue the field of sex differences in neurological disorders. My independent research will help make a positive difference in the lives of others, especially those with ASD.