Sunghee (Estelle) Park, PhD has joined the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering as an Assistant Professor. Her research focuses on using engineered tissues and organoid models to understand how biomechanical and biochemical cues direct stem cell differentiation, maturation, and function during development and disease progression, with a particular emphasis on the intestine and liver. Her research is best known for growing stem cell-derived organoids in physiologically relevant microenvironments through micro engineered organ-chip devices to study tissue morphogenesis and identify biomarkers in diseases.

Park’s vision as an independent researcher is to become a leading faculty who makes impactful contributions to our fundamental understanding of the factors influencing the structural and functional changes of human organs in health and disease. To achieve this, she plans to lead a stem cell bioengineering laboratory with a primary focus on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This will involve developing human organoids-on-a-chip systems and establishing next-generation biomedical devices and therapies tailored for regenerative and personalized medicine.

When she’s not thinking about her research, Park enjoys walking her female dog Noah and trying out new restaurants in the Greater Lafayette area.

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering – Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (2015)

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering – Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (2017)

Ph.D. in Bioengineering – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (2023)

Links to Park’s work

The Park Lab website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/PARKLAB/

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1934q1cAAAAJ&hl=en