Dr. Kimberly Ku | Bloomington, Illinois
Medical Oncologist and Hematologist and Physician Partner, Illinois CancerCare
Kimberly Ku is a humanitarian who cares deeply about relationships. She works as a community physician partner at Illinois CancerCare and is a medical oncologist and hematologist.
Coming from a scientific family where academic achievement and societal contribution were encouraged, Ku’s interest in medicine began early. “My interest in medicine was further influenced by losing a friend to young-onset cancer,” Ku explains, “From that point onward, my role models and strengths in research continued to align in the direction of becoming a cancer doctor.”
After experiencing a devastating miscarriage during her training years, Dr. Ku remembers gradually building an abundance mindset to celebrate small victories each day. “I had a supportive network that allowed me to recover with positivity, flexibility, resilience, and even gratitude...The most corrosive behaviors one can engage in would be to avoid conflict or hardship, which are actually growth and friendship opportunities in disguise...”
Words of Wisdom:
“Hindsight would offer my younger self the advice of listening to my intuition earlier in order to stay authentic, embracing my mistakes as lessons of gratitude rather than failures, learning relationship intelligence earlier to get out of my own way sooner…”
Today, Dr. Ku has triple board certifications in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine, received an additional certification in Genomic Cancer Risk Assessment, and was ResearcHER Ambassador for the American Cancer Society in 2024. She speaks at local scientific conferences including adjunct faculty talks in collaboration with University of Chicago as well as MD Anderson and contributes to medical literature including a recently published case report with Mayo Clinic in 2024. She received community excellence awards from the National Cancer Institute and is the site Principal Investigator of the international Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection (PRECEDE) Consortium.
Dr. Ku’s influence reaches beyond the medical industry. She is the Executive Producer for Abundance Studios, has co-authored a book, and appeared on a TV show with Chris Voss.
In all her achievements, Dr. Ku remains a curious, positive, lifelong learner. She seeks to deepen relationships through all her endeavors. She enjoys outdoor activities with her three children and cultivating a socially responsible, farming lifestyle.
Dr. Ku recognizes the great leaders in her life as the ones who inspire her to believe she can be a great leader too. “They embrace their authenticity as a means of benefiting and challenging the greater collective…they listen with curiosity, keep accountable and adaptive, and they honor hard-earned trust and respect.”
A Small-Town Community with a Sense of Rich Heritage:
“Central Illinois is a beautiful place to watch my children grow up…I am grateful for the small-town atmosphere with friendly people and culturally rich local events that foster a strong sense of connection and community…There is a sense of rich heritage, such as our commemoration of Abraham Lincoln, a lovely reminder that we share the same experiences as that of extraordinary leaders.”