Lani Park, PhD

Sung-shim (Lani) Park, PhD

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Program Co-Leader, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program, University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Full Member, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center

Academic Appointment(s):
Professor (Researcher), Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Graduate Faculty
Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Degree(s):
PhD, Epidemiology, UCLA, Fielding School of Public Health
MPH, Epidemiology, UCLA, Fielding School of Public Health
Postdoctoral Fellow, Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center

Research Focus

Dr. Park’s major areas of research interest include:

  1. Cancer epidemiology
  2. Lung cancer epidemiology (genetic, epigenetic, molecular, and environmental etiology)
  3. Cancer disparities

As a cancer epidemiologist Dr. Park’s research focuses on identifying health behavioral environmental and genomic factors that contributes to the racial and ethnic differences in cancer risk. She is leading the efforts to understand the racial and ethnic disparities in lung cancer risk through research in areas of nicotine and tobacco metabolism, DNA methylation, and structural racism. Dr. Park has 15 years of experience working with the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) study and has ongoing collaborations with large consortia such as the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) and International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO).

Selected Publications

Cigan SS, Murphy SE, Stram DO, Hecht SS, Marchand LL, Stepanov I, Park SL. (2023). Association of Urinary Biomarkers of Smoking-Related Toxicants with Lung Cancer Incidence in Smokers: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Mar 6;32(3):306-314.

Park SL, Le Marchand L, Cheng G, Balbo S, Chen M, Carmella SG, Thomson NM, Lee Y, Patel YM, Stram DO, Jensen J, Hatsukami DK, Murphy SE, Hecht SS. (2022). Quantitation of DNA Adducts Resulting from Acrolein Exposure and Lipid Peroxidation in Oral Cells of Cigarette Smokers from Three Racial/Ethnic Groups with Differing Risks for Lung Cancer. Chem Res Toxicol. Aug 23.

Park SL, Li Y, Sheng X, Hom V, Xia L, Zhao K, Pooler L, Setiawan VW, Lim U, Monroe KR, Wilkens LR, Kristal BS, Lampe JW, Hullar M, Shepherd J, Loo LLM, Ernst T, Franke AA, Tiirikainen M, Haiman CA, Stram DO, Le Marchand L, Cheng I. (2020). Genome-Wide Association Study of Liver Fat: The Multiethnic Cohort Adiposity Phenotype Study. Hepatol Commun. Aug;4(8):1112-1123.

Stram DO, Park SL, Patel Y, Haiman CA, Murphy SE, Hecht SS, Le Marchand L. (2019). Racial/Ethnic Differences in Lung Cancer Incidence in the Multiethnic Cohort Study: An Update. JNCI; Jan 28.

Park SL, Patel YM, Loo LWM, Mullen DJ, Offringa IA, Stram DO, Siegmund K, Murphy SE, Le Marchand L. (2018). Association of internal smoking dose with blood DNA methylation in three racial/ethnic populations. Clinical Epigenetics; Aug 23;10(1):110.

Publication list via MyNCBI

Active Grants

SL. Park, Project Leader; Hecht, PI
NCI
P01CA138338
“Mechanisms of ethnic/racial differences in lung cancer due to cigarette smoking; Project 1: Ethnic Differences in smoking-related biomarkers and risk of lung cancer”
09/2016 – 08/2027

SL. Park, (Contact PI); Loo, MPIs
NIMHD
R01MD014862
"Comprehensive molecular characterization of lung cancers in five racial/ethnic groups with disparate risk"
02/2020 – 12/2024

SL. Park/Cheng, MPIs
NCI
R01CA262540
"Understanding the role of structural racism on racial/ethnic inequities in lung cancer risk"
07/2022 – 06/2027

SL. Park (Project co-lead)/Loo; Le Marchand/Berenberg, MPIs
NCI
P20CA275734
"Hawaii Minority Health and Cancer Disparities SPORE; Project 1 Mitigating lung cancer disparities in Native Hawaiians – a population-based approach to evaluate prevention barriers and lung tumor biology"
09/2023 – 07/2026

SL. Park/Mau/Maunakea, MPIs
NHLBI
UG3HL169657
"The Pacific Ocean Native Observational (PONO) Health Legacy Study"
08/2023 – 07/2024

SL. Park, Co-Investigator; Aldrich/Blume, MPIs
NCI
R01CA251758-01A1
"Addressing racial disparities in lung cancer screening"
04/2021 – 03/2025

SL. Park, Co-Investigator; Cheng/Wu/Wu, MPIs
NIA
R01AG0757395
"Impact of Climate Change on Life Expectancy in a Multiethnic Population"
09/2022 – 03/2027