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):
Associate Professor (Associate Researcher), Population Sciences in the Pacific Program (Cancer Epidemiology), University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center

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 genetic, health behavioral and environmental risk factors that contributes to the racial/ethnic differences in cancer risk. She is currently leading efforts to examine population differences in nicotine and tobacco metabolism to understand the disparities in lung cancer risk across populations. Dr. Park has over 10 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 Transdisciplinary Research in Cancer of the Lung (TRICL).

Selected Publications

Cigan SS, Murphy SE, Alexander BH, Stram DO, Hatsukami DK, Le Marchand L, Park SL, Stepanov I. (2021). Ethnic Differences of Urinary Cadmium in Cigarette Smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health; Mar 6;18(5). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052669.

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.

Park SL, Murphy SE, Wilkens LR, Stram DO, Hecht SS, Le Marchand L. (2017). Association of CYP2A6 activity with lung cancer incidence in smokers: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. PLOSOne; May 25;12(5):e0178435.

Park SL, Cheng I, Haiman CA. (2017). Genome-wide association studies of cancer in diverse populations. CEPB; Jun 21.

Publication list via PubMed

Active Grants

SL. Park, Project Leader; Hecht, PI
NCI
2P01CA138338
“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”
10/01/16 – 08/31/22

SL. Park, Contact PI; Park/Loo, MPI
NIMHD
R01MD014862
"Comprehensive molecular characterization of lung cancers in five racial/ethnic groups with disparate risk"
02/25/2020-12/31/2024

SL. Park, Co-Investigator; Amos/Brennan/Hung/Lin, MPI
NCI
U19 CA203654
"Integrative analysis of lung cancer etiology and risk"
04/01/2017 – 03/31/2022

SL. Park, Co-Investigator; Aldrich/Blume, MPI
NCI
R01CA251758-01A1
"Addressing racial disparities in lung cancer screening"
04/05/2021 – 03/31/2025