Kim Salazar, MD, MBA, MHA | Director of Medical Operations

Dr. Kim Salazar, MD joined the team at K2 Medical Research in The Villages in 2024 after moving to central Florida following her retirement from the U.S. Army. She served on Active Duty as a physician for over 21 years. A highly decorated Veteran, Dr. Salazar attained the rank of Colonel, was awarded the Legion of Merit, and was inducted into the Order of Military Medical Merit. She also completed two combat tours in Iraq. 

Dr. Salazar is a graduate of Texas Tech University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry before pursuing a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She completed residency in Internal Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center and a fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. After practicing clinically for over a decade, Dr. Salazar returned to school earning a Masters in both Business and Healthcare Administration from Baylor University. She subsequently worked as a hospital based Chief Medical Officer for five years before finding her passion for clinical research. 

Throughout Dr. Salazar’s career, she has cared for many patients with Alzheimer’s Disease, which serves as motivation to be a part of Alzheimer's research with the belief that someday we will find a cure! Her research interests also include chronic liver disease, obesity, and vaccine development. 

Outside of clinical research, Dr. Salazar enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 boys and their beloved Aussiedoodle. She stays busy as the Cofounder of ReNU Syndrome United, a nonprofit advocacy group for a rare genetic syndrome that her older son was recently diagnosed with. She loves watching her younger son play soccer, traveling, enjoying good food, live music, and college football.