Pilyoung Kim
Professor
What I do
ProfessorProfessional Biography
Dr. Pilyoung Kim is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of the Brain, Artificial Intelligence, and Child (BAIC;https://www.baic.center) Center at the University of Denver. She is widely recognized for her expertise in brain development and human emotional bonding, particularly in parent-child relationships.
At the BAIC Center, Professor Kim’s research focuses on the emotional and social dimensions of human-AI interactions, with a strong emphasis on AI safety. She also explores the impact of generative AI on child development, including its influence on brain development and emotional and social well-being.
Professor Kim has authored over 95 publications, with her research supported by prestigious funding agencies, including the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Denver, overseeing the ethical review of human subject research.
Professor Kim is regularly invited as a speaker, having presented at leading national and international institutions, including Columbia University and Cornell University, as well as academic institutions in Canada, South Korea, and Taiwan. She has spoken at major conferences such as the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) and the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and has provided insights for government agencies, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Academies' Forum for Children’s Well-Being.
Her work has been featured in leading media outlets, including the BBC, The New York Times, and NHK. Dr. Kim had also served on the advisory board for the Bezos Family Foundation.
At the BAIC Center, Professor Kim’s research focuses on the emotional and social dimensions of human-AI interactions, with a strong emphasis on AI safety. She also explores the impact of generative AI on child development, including its influence on brain development and emotional and social well-being.
Professor Kim has authored over 95 publications, with her research supported by prestigious funding agencies, including the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Research Foundation of Korea.
She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Denver, overseeing the ethical review of human subject research.
Professor Kim is regularly invited as a speaker, having presented at leading national and international institutions, including Columbia University and Cornell University, as well as academic institutions in Canada, South Korea, and Taiwan. She has spoken at major conferences such as the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) and the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and has provided insights for government agencies, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Academies' Forum for Children’s Well-Being.
Her work has been featured in leading media outlets, including the BBC, The New York Times, and NHK. Dr. Kim had also served on the advisory board for the Bezos Family Foundation.
Degree(s)
- Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Cornell University, 2009
- MA, Developmental Psychology, Cornell University, 2007
- M.Ed., Human Development and Psychology, Harvard University, 2003
- BA, Psychology and English Language & Literature, Korea University, 2002
Professional Affiliations
- Society of Research in Child Development
- Life Course Research Network (LCRN), UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities
- International Network for Research on Inequalities in Child Health
- The Organization for Human Brain Mapping
Research
At the BAIC Center (https://www.baic.center), Dr. Kim and her team aim to understand the role and applications of artificial intelligence in supporting child development, particularly in the areas of socioemotional and brain development.
Current projects include cross-cultural studies of children’s brain activation during creative storytelling with generative AI, parent–child interactions with character AI, and brain responses to short-form videos.
Dr. Kim and her team also study how poverty and cannabis exposure affect the brains of two generations—infants and their parents. Research methods include MRI, fMRI, fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), neuroendocrine markers, observations of parent–child interactions, and structured clinical interviews.
*We welcome undergraduate students and prospective graduate students to join our lab!
Current projects include cross-cultural studies of children’s brain activation during creative storytelling with generative AI, parent–child interactions with character AI, and brain responses to short-form videos.
Dr. Kim and her team also study how poverty and cannabis exposure affect the brains of two generations—infants and their parents. Research methods include MRI, fMRI, fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), neuroendocrine markers, observations of parent–child interactions, and structured clinical interviews.
*We welcome undergraduate students and prospective graduate students to join our lab!
Key Projects
- Prenatal Pathways for Poverty’s Influence on the Brains of Two Generations
- Cannabis Use during Pregnancy, Maternal Brain, and Mother-Infant Relationships
- Alterations in Neural Functions that Predict the Onset of Perinatal Depression
- The influence of in utero cannabis exposure on offspring brain morphology, micro-, macrostructural and network connectivity in the prefrontal regions during infancy
- Poverty and Mother-Infant Attachment: Neurobehavioral Mechanisms
Featured Publications
. (2010). The plasticity of human maternal brain: longitudinal changes in brain anatomy during the early postpartum period. Behavioral Neuroscience, 124(5), 695-700.
. (2013). Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotion regulatory brain function in adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(46), 18442-18447.
. (2014). Neural plasticity in fathers of human infants. Social Neuroscience, 9(5), 522-535.
Awards
- Victoria S. Levin Award For Early Career Success in Young Children's Mental Health Research, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Graduate Mentorship
Dr. Kim will be reviewing applications for fall 2025 admission.
