Sarah Kim, Ph.D., an assistant professor of pharmaceutics in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, was named the 2026 recipient of the Darrell Abernethy Early Stage Investigator Award.
This recognition from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, or ASCPT, intends to foster the growth of early career scientists. It includes a $10,000 grant for salary support, supplies, equipment, travel and other research expenses. Applicants are junior faculty members working toward senior faculty positions within clinical pharmacology or translational medicine who show evidence of heading independent research laboratories or who commit at least 60% of their time to research.
Kim was recognized at the ASCPT Annual Meeting in Denver, March 4-6. She calls receiving the Abernethy award a true honor.
“Dr. Abernethy was a brilliant scientist, a trusted advisor and colleague, and a beloved member of the clinical pharmacology community who dedicated his career to serving the public good. This award is deeply encouraging and serves as a reminder of the responsibility to continue his inspiring legacy for the next generation of scientists,” Kim said.
Kim’s research combines her background in mathematics, computer programming and pharmacology by using data-driven computational modeling and AI approaches to improve and accelerate drug development. The quantitative models she develops can simulate disease progression, helping clinicians understand disease mechanisms and predict how patients may respond to therapeutic interventions, information that can be used in designing more efficient clinical trials. Her current projects focus on creating regulatory-grade, model-informed clinical trial simulation tools for conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, type 1 diabetes and autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease.
“Alongside traditional, quantitative methods, AI is becoming an essential tool in drug development,” Kim said. “It enables the integration of multimodal data like images, genomics and clinical records into unified models, uncovers hidden patterns and generates precise, data-driven insights. By applying these tools, my research aims to guide personalized therapeutic strategies.”
Hao Zhu, Ph.D., director of the Division of Pharmacometrics at the United States Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said Kim’s success is due to the rare combination of skills she possesses.
“She is an academic scientist who deeply engages with regulatory perspectives to produce high-impact research, a pioneer committed to advancing our field through AI/machine learning and a leader dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive scientific environment,” said Zhu, a 2004 UF College of Pharmacy doctoral graduate in pharmaceutical sciences.
After receiving her Ph.D. in mathematics with a focus on biomathematics, she joined the UF College of Pharmacy’s Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology as a postdoctoral associate in 2015. It’s her own non-traditional path to clinical pharmacology that inspires her drive for diversifying the field today. By recruiting students from varied STEM backgrounds and from the world over, Kim has built a pool of trainees who she guides with a focus on scientific rigor and practical impact. Since 2020, her trainees have been recognized for their research achievements, including two Jason Morrow awards and six Presidential Trainee Awards from ASCPT, as well as two Abstract Trainee Awards from the American Conference on Pharmacometrics.
“Even in the face of challenges and setbacks, the dedication and insights of the people around me inspire me to keep pushing forward and to continue striving for meaningful progress in research that can ultimately benefit the public good,” Kim said. “Every day, I see how collaboration and mutual encouragement strengthen our work and purpose.”