Kwon Park

Associate Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology

Primary Location

1340 Jefferson Park Avenue
PINN 7046
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Primary Phone Number

434.982.1947

Fax Number

434.982.1071

[email protected]

Website

https://med.virginia.edu/bims/faculty/?facbio=1&id=25920

Bio & Overview

The overarching goal of our research is functional understanding of molecular alterations in lung cancer. To that end, we determine impacts of genomic and transcriptomic alterations on tumor development and progression using genetically engineered precancerous cells and mouse models. Our current efforts are focused on the following aspects of tumorigenesis. 1. To understand transcriptional program altered by frequent mutations in transcription factors and chromatin modifiers, we integrate functional genetics with omics approach. 2. To identify and delineate signaling pathways for tumor progression and homeostasis, we study roles of developmental and growth factor signaling pathways that are deregulated during tumor development. 3. To determine role of metabolic plasticity in mutant cells during tumor progression, we aim to identify and characterize altered metabolic pathways in tumorigenesis and their relationships to oncogenic drivers. 4. To determine preneoplasia-immune microenvironment during tumor development, we aim to determine changes in immune regulatory proteins, which promotes evasion of immune surveillance by cytotoxic T cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages.

Academic Information

Department: Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology

Academic Title: Associate Professor

Primary Education

PhD, Molecular and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospitalnull
Postdoc, Genetics and Pediatrics, Stanford Universitynull

Other Affiliations

Member, Cancer Center
Faculty, Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics Program
Faculty , BIMS-CDB
Microbiology
Faculty, BIMS-MSTP
MSTP
Faculty, BIMS

Research Interests

Mechanisms of tissue/organ homeostasis and tumorigeensis

Research Disciplines

Biochemistry
Cancer Biology
Cell and Developmental Biology
Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration
Epigenetics
Experimental Pathology
Genetics
Metabolism
Molecular Biology
Translational Science

Research Opportunities

Biochemistry
Cancer Biology
Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
Cellular and Molecular Metabolism
Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration
Epigenetics
Genetics
Molecular Biology

PhD Programs

Cell Biology
Microbiology

Selected Publications

Qian W, Wei X, Barros AJ, Ye X, Zhang H, Yu Q, Young SP, Yeatts EV, Park Y, Li C, Hao S, Almeida-Santos G, Tang J, Narasimhan H, Kirk NA, Molinary V, Li Y, Li L, Desai BN, Chen P, Park KS, Zhou AX, Sturek JM, Chen W, Cheon IS, Sun J. Respiratory viral infections prime accelerated lung cancer growth. Cell. 2026 Mar 11:S0092-8674(26)00220-5. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.02.013.

Kirk NA, Ng J, Ly KL, Choi M, Ban YH, Dzhivhuho G, Jang J, Ko KP, Kareta MS, Park JI, Karnezis AN, Thomas A, Sutherland KD, Park KS*. SMARCA4 loss promotes late-stage tumor progression in non-neuroendocrine small-cell lung cancer. Molecular Cancer Research. 2025 Jan 5. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-25-0592. *corresponding authors.

Seo Y^#, Zhang S^#, Jang J^#, Ko KP^#, Kim KB^#, Huang Y, Kim DW, Kim B, Zou G, Zhang J, Jun S, Chu W, Kirk NA, Hwang YE, Ban YH, Dhar SS, Chan JM, Lee MG, Rudin CM, Park KS*, Park JI*. Actin dysregulation induces neuroendocrine plasticity and immune evasion: a vulnerability of small cell lung cancer. Nature Communications. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-67078-9, 2025. ^#first authors. *corresponding authors.

Del Rey-Vergara R, Galindo-Campos MA, Rocha P, Carpes M, Martínez C, Masfarré L, Menéndez S, Quimis F, Rossell A, Iñañez A, Pérez-Buira S, Rojo F, Gimeno R, Isla D, Zugazagoitia J, Martí Blanco C, García-Campelo R, Moreno-Vega A, León-Mateos L, Callejo Mellén Á, Park KS, Heeke S, Heymach JV, Taus Á, Paz-Ares L, Rovira A, Arriola E. MET pathway inhibition increases chemo-immunotherapy efficacy in small cell lung cancer. Cell Reports Medicine. 6(7):102194, 2025.

Kim B, Huang Y, Ko KP, Zhang S, Zou G, Zhang J, Kim MJ, Little D, Ellis LV, Paschini M, Jun S, Park KS, Chen J, Kim C, Park JI. PCLAF-DREAM drives alveolar cell plasticity for lung regeneration. Nature Communications. 15(1):9169, 2024.

Choi JH, Jeong J, Kim J, You E, Keum S, Song S, Hwang YE, Ji M, Park KS, Rhee S. Genetic disruption of ATAT1 causes RhoA downregulation through abnormal truncation of C/EBPβ. BMB Reports. 57(6):293-298, 2024.

Kim B, Zhang S, Huang Y, Ko KP, Jung YS, Jang J, Zou G, Zhang J, Jun S, Kim KB, Park KS, Park JI. CRACD loss induces neuroendocrine cell plasticity of lung adenocarcinoma. Cell Reports. 2024 Jun 25;43(6):114286. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114286. Epub 2024 May 25. PMID: 38796854; PMCID: PMC11216895.

Oser MG*, MacPherson D, Oliver TG, Sage J, Park KS*. Genetically engineered mouse models of small cell lung cancer: the next generation. Oncogene. 43(7):457-469, 2024. *corresponding authors.

Kirk NA, Hwang YE, Lee SG, Kim KB, Park KS*. Robo 1 loss has pleiotropic effects on postnatal development and survival bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 August 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.01.551555. *corresponding author.

Gentzler RD, Villaruz LC, Rhee JC, Horton B, Mock J, Hanley M, Kim K, Rudek MA, Phelps MA, Carducci MA, Piekarz R, Park KS, Bullock TN, Rudin CM. Phase I Study of Entinostat, Atezolizumab, Carboplatin, and Etoposide in Previously Untreated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer, ETCTN 10399. Oncologist. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyad221, 2023.

Kirk NA, Kim KB, Park KS*. Effect of chromatin modifiers on the plasticity and immunogenicity of small-cell lung cancer. Experimental Molecular Medicine. doi: 10.1038/s12276-022-00905-x, 2022. *corresponding author.

Sessions DT, Kim KB, Kashatus JA, Churchill N, Park KS, Mayo MW, Sesaki H, Kashatus DF. Opa1 and Drp1 reciprocally regulate cristae morphology, ETC function, and NAD⁺ regeneration in KRas-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Cell Reports. 41(11):111818, 2022.

Kim KB, Kim DW, Kim Y, Tang J, Kirk N, Gan Y, Kim B, Fang B, Park JI, Zheng Y, Park KS*. WNT5A-RHOA signaling is a driver of tumorigenesis and represents a therapeutically actionable vulnerability in small cell lung cancer. Cancer Research. CAN-22-1170, 2022

Hong YJ, Park J, Hahm JY, Kim SH, Lee DH, Park KS, Seo SB. Regulation of UHRF1 acetylation by TIP60 is important for colon cancer cell proliferation. Genes Genomics. 44(11):1353-1361, 2022.

Kim KB, Kabra A, Kim DW, Xue Y, Huang Y, Hou PC, Zhou Y, Miranda L, Park JI, Shi X, Bender TP, Bushweller JH*, Park KS*. KIX domain determines a selective tumor-promoting role for EP300 and its vulnerability in small-cell lung cancer (electronic publication). Science Advances. 8:eabl4618, 2022. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abl4618. *corresponding authors.

Kang JY, Park JW, Hwang Y, Hahm JY, Park J, Park KS, Seo SB. The H3K4 methyltransferase SETD1A is required for proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells by promoting S-phase progression. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 561:120-127, 2021.

Schaff D, Singh S, Kim KB, Sutcliffe M, Park KS, and Janes K. Fragmentation of Small-cell Lung Cancer Regulatory States in Heterotypic Microenvironments. Cancer Research. 81:185301867, 2021.

Kim KB, Kim Y, Rivard CJ, Kim DW, Park KS*. FGFR1 is critical for RBL2 loss-driven tumor development and requires PLCG1 activation for continued growth of small cell lung cancer. Cancer Research. 80:5051-5062, 2020. *corresponding author.

Kim KB, Dunn CT, Park KS*. Recent progress in mapping the emerging landscape of the small cell lung cancer genome. Experimental Molecular Medicine. 7:4-20, 2020. ^#first authors; *corresponding author.

Poirier JT, George J, Owonikoko TK, Berns A, Brambilla E, Byers LA, Carbone D, Chen HJ, Christensen CL, Dive C, Farago AF, Govindan R, Hann C, Hellmann MD, Horn L, Johnson JE, Ju YS, Kang S, Krasnow M, Lee J, Lee SH, Lehman J, Lok B, Lovly C, MacPherson D, McFadden D, Minna J, Oser M, Park K, Park KS, Pommier Y, Quaranta V, Ready N, Sage J, Scagliotti G, Sos ML, Sutherland KD, Travis WD, Vakoc CR, Wait SJ, Wistuba I, Wong KK, Zhang H, Daigneault J, Wiens J, Rudin CM, Oliver TG. New Approaches to SCLC Therapy: From the Laboratory to the Clinic. Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 15:520-540, 2020.

Ko JH, Olona A, Papathanassiu AE, Buang N, Park KS, Costa ASH, Mauro C, Frezza C, Behmoaras J. BCAT1 affects mitochondrial metabolism independently of leucine transamination in activated human macrophages. Journal of Cell Science. 132:jcs247957, 2020.

Pereira M, Ko JH, Logan J, Protheroe H, Kim KB, Tan ALM, Croucher PI, Park KS, Rotival M, Petretto E, Bassett JD, Williams GR, Behmoaras J. A trans-eQTL network regulates osteoclast multinucleation and bone mass. Elife. 9:e55549, 2020. https://elifesciences.org/articles/55549.

Ware TB, Franks CE, Granade ME, Zhang M, Kim KB, Park KS, Gahlmann A, Harris TE, Hsu KL. Reprogramming fatty acyl specificity of lipid kinases via C1 domain engineering. Nature Chemical Biology. 16:170-178, 2020.

Sing S, Wang L, Schaff DL, Sutcliff MD, Koeppel AF, Kim J, Onengut-Gumuscu S, Park KS, Zong H, Janes KA. In situ 10-cell RNA sequencing in tissue and tumor biopsy samples. Scientific Reports. 9:4836, 2019. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41235-9.

Jia D^#, Augert A^#, Kim DW^#, Eastwood E, Wu N, Ibrahim A, Pillai SPS, Kim KB, Dunn CT, Pillai SPS, Gazdar A, Park KS*, MacPherson D*. Crebbp loss drives small cell lung cancer and increases sensitivity to HDAC inhibition. Cancer Discovery. 8:1422-1437, 2018. ^#first authors; *corresponding authors.

Ponath P, Menezes D, Pan C, Chen B, Oyasu M, Strachan D, Leblanc H, Sun H, Wang XT, Rangan V, Deshpande S, Cristea S, Park KS, Sage J, and Cardarelli P. A novel, fully human anti-fucosyl-GM1 antibody demonstrates potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity in preclinical models of small cell lung cancer Clinical Cancer Research. 24:5178-5189, 2018.

Yang D, Denny SK, Greenside PG, Chaikovsky A, Brady JJ, Ouadah Y, Granja JM, Jahchan NS, Lim JS, Kwok S, Kong CS, Berghoff AS, Shmitt A, Reinhardt C, Park KS, Preusser M, Kundaje A, Greenleaf WJ, Sage J, Winslow MM. Intertumoral Heterogeneity in SCLC Is Influenced by the Cell Type of Origin. Cancer Discovery. 8(10):1316-1331. 2018.

Kim DW^#, Kim KC^#, Kim KB, Dunn CT, Park KS*. Transcriptional Deregulation Underlying the Pathogenesis of Small Cell Lung Cancer. Translational Lung Cancer Research. 7:4-20, 2018. ^#first authors; *corresponding author.

Szczepny A, Rogers S, Jayasekara WSN, Park KS, McCloy RA, Cochrane CR, Ganju V, Cooper WA, Sage J, Peacock CD, Cain JE, Burgess A, Watkins DN. The Role of Canonical and Non-Canonical Hedgehog Signaling in Tumor Progression in a Mouse Model of Small Cell Lung Cancer. Oncogene. 36:5544-5550, 2017.

Kim DW^#, Wu N^#, Kim YC, Cheng PF, Basom R, Kim D, Dunn CT, Lee AY, Kim KB, Lee CS, Singh A, Gazdar AF, Harris CR, Eisenman R, Park KS*, MacPherson D*. Genetic requirement for Mycl and efficacy of RNA Pol I inhibition in mouse models of small cell lung cancer. Genes and Development. 30:1289-99, 2016. ^#first authors; *corresponding authors.

Denny SK, Yang D, Chuang CH, Brady JJ, Lim JS, Grüner BM, Chiou SH, Schep AN, Baral J, Hamard C, Antoine M, Wislez M, Kong CS, Connolly AJ, Park KS, Sage J, Greenleaf WJ, Winslow MM. Nfib Promotes Metastasis through a Widespread Increase in Chromatin Accessibility. Cell. 166:328-42, 2016.

George J, Lim JS, Jang SJ, Cun Y, Ozretić L, Kong G, Leenders F, Lu X, Fernández-Cuesta L, Bosco G, Müller C, Dahmen I, Jahchan NS, Park KS, Yang D, Karnezis AN, Vaka D, Torres A, Wang MS, Korbel JO, Menon R, Chun SM, Kim D, Wilkerson M, Hayes N, Engelmann D, Pützer B, Bos M, Michels S, Vlasic I, Seidel D, Pinther B, Schaub P, Becker C, Altmüller J, Yokota J, Kohno T, Iwakawa R, Tsuta K, Noguchi M, Muley T, Hoffmann H, Schnabel PA, Petersen I, Chen Y, Soltermann A, Tischler V, Choi CM, Kim YH, Massion PP, Zou Y, Jovanovic D, Kontic M, Wright GM, Russell PA, Solomon B, Koch I, Lindner M, Muscarella LA, la Torre A, Field JK, Jakopovic M, Knezevic J, Castaños-Vélez E, Roz L, Pastorino U, Brustugun OT, Lund-Iversen M, Thunnissen E, Köhler J, Schuler M, Botling J, Sandelin M, Sanchez-Cespedes M, Salvesen HB, Achter V, Lang U, Bogus M, Schneider PM, Zander T, Ansén S, Hallek M, Wolf J, Vingron M, Yatabe Y, Travis WD, Nürnberg P, Reinhardt C, Perner S, Heukamp L, Büttner R, Haas SA, Brambilla E, Peifer M, Sage J, Thomas RK. Comprehensive genomic characterization of small cell lung cancer. Nature. 524:47-53, 2015.

Jahchan NS, Dudley JT, Mazur PK, Flores N, Yang D, Palmerton A, Zmoos, AZ, Vaka D, Tran KQ, Zhou M, Krasinska K, Riess JW, Neal JW, Khatri P, Park, KS, Butte A, Sage J. A drug-repositioning approach identifies tricyclic antidepressants as inhibitors of small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine tumors. Cancer Discovery. 3:1364-77, 2013.