Research Interest

Park Lab investigates fundamental questions regarding the development of human cancer. Addressing these questions will help us identify the molecular vulnerabilities associated with human cancer. Significantly, we are utilizing primary human cells to address these questions below.

• Which cells are the origin of human cancer?
• Which genetic alterations can drive human cancer development?
• Which genetic alterations are the determinants of human cancer differentiation?
• Can we alter the differentiation process of human cancer?

Different cell types can drive different cancer types in human prostate. 

• There are two major epithelial cells in human prostate; basal and lumincal cells. We demonstrated that basal cell-driven prostate cancer is more aggressive than luminal cell-driven prostate cancer. These two cancer types have been initiated by the same oncogenic factors (cMYC and activated AKT1).

We have been identifying cells of origin for small cell cancers from the lung, prostate, and bladder. Currently, we are seeking to find cells of origin for kidney cancers.

• Small cell prostate cancer cells can be initiated from prostate basal cells that have the potential of stem cells. In addition, we were able to determine prostate cancer types by changing genetic alterations in our human prostate organoid transformation assay.