Kyu Y. Rhee, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine

Infectious Diseases (Medicine)

Contact & profiles

Clinical profile ↗

Appointments

Professor of MedicinePrimary
Medicine · 2021–
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Microbiology and Immunology · 2021–
Professor
Weill Cornell Graduate School — Immunology & Microbial Pathogenesis · 2014–
Physician
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Past Appointments

Associate Professor of Medicine
Medicine · 2011–2021
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Microbiology and Immunology · 2011–2021
William Randolph Hearst Foundation Clinical Scholar in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Medicine · 2006–2012

Show all 7

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Microbiology and Immunology · 2005–2011
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Medicine · 2005–2011
Fellow in Medicine
Medicine · 2002–2005
Clinical Associate in Medicine
Medicine · 2000–2002

Centers

Clinical & Translational Science Center

Education

M.D., Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, 1999
B.S.
Cornell University, 1991

Overview

Despite major advances in the fields of microbial pathogenesis and medicinal chemistry, only 2 new chemical classes of antibiotics have been approved in the past 20 years. Some infections that were once predictably curable have become more difficult, if not impossible to treat, and resistance to every antibiotic in clinical use, a growing reality. Antibiotic development has thus re-emerged as a major area of unmet medical need.

Among current infectious diseases, the need for new antibiotics is nowhere more evident than for TB. TB is the leading bacterial cause of deaths worldwide, leading cause of deaths in the HIV-positive population, and leading cause of death from a curable infection. It is thus somewhat surprising that control of the pandemic remains hindered by a lack of rapid cures. Current TB chemotherapies are longer and more complex than for virtually any other bacterial infection. As a result, these once therapeutic miracles have given way to rates of treatment non-compliance and failure sufficient to allow continued transmission and promote the paradoxical emergence of multidrug- (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) disease.

Our lab seeks to address both of these shortfalls by applying metabolomic technologies to elucidate the intracellular biochemistry of Mtb and its response to perturbation by host relevant stresses and antimycobacterial compounds.

Highlights

1
Nature communications · 2020
KYKyu Y. Rhee
PMID: 32327655PMCID: PMC7181641DOISenior author64 citations
2
The Journal of experimental medicine · 2021
SESabine Ehrt KYKyu Y. Rhee
PMID: 33950161PMCID: PMC8105722DOISenior author6 citations
3
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2021
KYKyu Y. Rhee
PMID: 34235671DOISenior author15 citations

Publications

178

Funding

51 View NIH portfolio on RePORTER ↗

Active

22 grants

PI
Metabolic and genetic determinants of drug activity and resistance in Mtb (Project 2)
NIAID · 2026–2031 · via NIH RePORTER
P01AI201075-01
Sub-PI
Identifying drug tolerance mechanisms in Mycobacterium tuberculosis glpK mutants to develop better treatments against drug tolerant persister bacilli.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2026–2031 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
R01AI192623-01A1
MPI
Microbiology of Treatment Shortening in Tuberculosis
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2026–2031
P01AI181935-01A1
Co-I
Mechanisms and Consequences of Clinical Pressure on Pathways in Mtb
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2020–2031· 2 renewals
P01AI143575-06
PI
Tri-I Training Program in Metabolomics
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2019–2030Training· 2 renewals
R25AI140472-07
KP
Preclinical Design and Clinical Translation of TB Regimens (PReDicTR) Consortium
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2024–2029 · via University of California, San Francisco
UM1AI179699-02
Sub-PI
Transporter function of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE/PPE proteins.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2024–2028 · via Seattle Children's Hospital
R01AI180452-03
MPI
Tri-I Stimulating Access to Research in Residency program (Tri-I StARR - NIAID)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2023–2028
R38AI174255-03
PI
Weill Cornell Medicine Physician-Scientist Academy
Burroughs Wellcome Fund · 2019–2027
BWF 1020043
PI
Multiomic approaches to treatment-shortening compound development and target identification
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2024–2027
INV-070003
Sub-PI
Defining the mechanism of coma in cerebral malaria
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022–2027 · via Yeshiva University
R01AI164864-05
Sub-PI
Bacterial and Host Heterogeneity in TB latency, persistence and progression
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022–2027 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
U19AI162598-03
MPI
Tri-Institutional Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2022–2027
P30AI168433-01
KP
The Transmission Biology of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2021–2027Career
K08AI148584-01A1
Sub-PI
Metabolic determinants of Mtb virulence, vulnerability and variation - Core A
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2021–2027 · via The Brigham & Women's Hospital INC· 4 renewals
U19AI162584-05 Core A
MPI
Transmission Aerobiology of M. tuberculosis: Genes and Metabolic Pathways That Sustain Mtb Across an Evolutionary Bottleneck
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2021–2027· 2 renewals
P01AI159402-05 Admin Core
PI
Tri-Institutional Physician-Scientist Colloquium
Sanofi S.A. · 2026–2027
SSA 261303-01
Sub-PI
The role of PKM2 in dietary lipid absorption and fructose-induced obesity
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases · 2022–2027 · via New York University School of Medicine (Grossman)· 2 renewals
R01DK132427-04
Sub-PI
Molecular Mechanisms of Fructose-induced Colorectal Cancer Cell Survival
National Cancer Institute · 2022–2026 · via New York University· 2 renewals
R01CA258697-03
PI
Open AI/ML-assisted bacterial permeability platform
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2024–2026
INV-080847
Sub-PI
Mechanisms for potentiation with the BPaL regimen
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2024–2026 · via Cornell University - Ithaca
INV-070075
Sub-PI
Bacteria and Host in TB Transmission
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2020–2026 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
R01AI147345-05

Completed grants (29)

PI
ASCI/PSSF/BWF Physician-Scientist Think Tank
Burroughs Wellcome Fund · 2025–2025
1511421
PI
Metabolomics to identify synergistic TB targets
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2020–2024
INV-004709
Sub-PI
Omics for TB: Response to Infection and Treatment
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2018–2024 · via Seattle Children's Hospital
U19AI135976-02
Sub-PI
Cytological Profiling to Rapidly Predict Drug Mechanism of Action Against M.tuberculosis
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2021–2023 · via Tufts University
TU 213396-02
KP
Mining the biochemical dark matter of M. tuberculosis by high-throughput CRISPRi
Howard Hughes Medical Institute · 2019–2023
HHMI GT11827
PI
Addgene 705011
Addgene, Inc. · 2022–2023
Addgene 705011
Co-I
Inflammasomes: Regulation and Function in Acute Lung Injury
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2018–2023
R01HL055330-23
PI
Pantothenamides against tuberculosis: selective inhibitors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis tubercle (Harrington Scholar-Innovator Grant)
Harrington Discovery Institute, The · 2020–2022
HDI 193972-02
Co-I
Metabolic Dysfunction Regulates Mitophagy-Dependent Necroptosis in COPD
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2017–2021
R01HL132198-02
Co-I
Admin Supplement to U19AI111143, to run concurrent with budget period 7
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2014–2021· 3 renewals
U19AI111143-07
MPI
Molecular, biochemical and in vivo Analysis of High and Low Transmission Mtb Strains (admin supplement to U19AI111276, PIs Ellner, Alland, Salgame, in budget period 6)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2019–2020 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
U19AI111276-07
PI
Intrabacterial Elucidation of Compound Accumulation and Metabolism in M. Tuberculosis
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2017–2020
OPP1177930
Sub-PI
Discovery and Validation of Drug Targets in Vulnerable Populations
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2016–2020 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
R33AI111647-05
MPI
Decoding the Roles of Critical Genes of Unknown Function in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2013–2019 · via Harvard University
U19AI107774-05
Co-I
Urinary Biomarkers of Tuberculosis: Potential for diagnosis and beyond
U.S. Department of Defense · 2018–2019
W81XWH-18-1-0133
PI
Hellman Seed Grant
Cornell University - Ithaca · 2018–2019
CU 193740-01
PI
2013 World TB Day Symposium
Potts Memorial Foundation · 2012–2018
PMF 13020265-02
Sub-PI
Lesion-Centric Imaging and PK-PD of Pyrazinamide for TB/HIV Co-Infection
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2013–2018 · via Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey – New Brunswick
R01AI106398-04
KP
Conditional Expression of Mycobacterial Genes
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2012–2018
R01AI063446-09
PI
Physician Scientist Institutional Award Planning Grant 1018275
Burroughs Wellcome Fund · 2017–2018
BWF 1018275
Sub-PI
Chemical Inhibitors to Define an Essential M. Tuberculosis Signaling Network
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2012–2018 · via Boston Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital Corporation)
R01AI099204-05
PI
Metabolomics-based Approaches to TB Drug Development
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation · 2010–2017
OPP1024050 Yr 3
Sub-PI
Integration of Metabolism and Virulence in Gram-Positive Bacteria
National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2012–2017 · via Tufts University
R01GM042219-04 EW
KP
Biotin Synthesis and Biotin Ligation in Mtb
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2010–2016
R01AI091790-05
KP
Drug Targets in Mtb Gluconeogenesis
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2010–2016
R01AI092573-05
Sub-PI
Engineering Microbial Social Interactions: Towards New Anti-Biofilm Therapies
Office of the Director, NIH · 2015–2016 · via Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer ResearchTraining
DP2OD008440-04S1
KP
CTSC: Metabolic Conditionality of Antibiotic Resistance in Clinical MRSA Strains
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences · 2012–2014 · via Rockefeller University
UL1TR000043-07S1E
PI
Metabolomics approaches to TB drug development
NIAID · 2009–2012 · via NIH RePORTER
R21AI081094-02
PI
Specific target of NO-mediated damage in M tuberculosis
NIAID · 2004–2009 · via NIH RePORTER
K08AI061393-04

Honors & distinctions

Member · Association of American Physicians · 2023
Member · American Society for Clinical Investigation · 2015

News mentions

14 View all WCM news ↗

Weill Cornell Launches Physician-Scientist Program to Support Early to Mid-Career Faculty
November 4, 2026
The initiative provides physician-scientists with extended periods of dedicated time to pursue research that is financially compartmentalized from their clinical responsibilities.
Weill Cornell Medicine Awarded Grant to Shorten TB Treatment Regimen
September 17, 2026
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have received a $17.4 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to discover new approaches to shorten tuberculosis (TB) treatment, potentially making it easier for patients to complete therapy.
Tuberculosis Transmission May Hold Key to Prevention
August 26, 2026
Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have discovered specific mechanisms that enable the bacteria not only to survive drying but also to generate mutations linked to antibiotic resistance.
Formalizing Physician-Scientist Career Pathway Key to Creating ‘Healthcare of Tomorrow’
June 22, 2026
A recent paper examines the academic, economic and organizational forces jeopardizing a career as a physician-scientist and proposes a framework with the potential to both remedy and revitalize this unique workforce.
Awards & Honors: February 2024
February 29, 2024
Awards, honors and achievements for the month of February.

Show 9 more mentions

Weill Cornell Medicine Receives Grants for Tuberculosis Drug Development
December 21, 2023
Weill Cornell Medicine researchers and the TB Drug Accelerator have received two grants totaling $6.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study tuberculosis (TB) drug development.
Dr. Kyu Rhee Inducted into Association of American Physicians
May 2, 2023
Dr. Kyu Rhee, a distinguished Weill Cornell Medicine physician-scientist, has been elected to the esteemed Association of American Physicians.
$5 Million NIH Center Grant Will Support Next Generation TB Research
September 7, 2022
Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health to establish a new multi-institutional center for tuberculosis (TB) research and training the next generation of TB investigators.
Scientists Discover Potential New Target for Future Tuberculosis Drugs
July 7, 2020
A team of scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine and Texas A&M University has identified a tuberculosis (TB) protein that future drugs might be able to target, with minimal side-effects compared to current treatments—potentially a critical discovery given the global public health crisis of drug-resistant TB.
Real-World Problems: Dr. Adrian Jinich Aims to Spur Health in Developing Countries
March 2, 2020
Winner of a prestigious fellowship for postdocs, Dr. Adrian Jinich aims to spur health in developing countries—and inspire the next generation of STEM students.
Research on Leading TB Drug Offers Path for New Combination Therapies
November 19, 2019
A leading drug for tuberculosis (TB) that has begun to lose its potency due to antibiotic resistance can be used to combat the infection through more than one pathway.
Weill Cornell Postdoc Selected for Prestigious Hanna Gray HHMI Fellowship
September 12, 2019
Dr. Adrian Jinich, a postdoctoral associate in medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been selected as a 2019 Hanna H. Gray Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Weill Cornell Faculty Member Receives Physician-Scientist Institutional Award
August 16, 2019
Dr. Kyu Rhee, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a Physician-Scientist Institutional Award by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
Formidable Foes
June 19, 2019
Physicians, researchers and policymakers around the globe are grappling with the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria—a threat with the potential to derail decades of medical advances.