Yeonhwa Park
Research areas include food bioactives in obesity and related diseases as well as aging.
Current Research
Dr. Park's current research focuses on identifying previously unknown natural products for obesity and aging prevention using C. elegans as an invertebrate animal model. In addition, she is expanding the research on applying C. elegans for developing behavior-based assays to identify natural compounds that can mitigate substance use disorders, such as compounds specifically targeting mu-opioid receptor and cannabinoid 1 receptor. This includes the use of C. elegans strains carrying human mu-opioid receptor and cannabinoid 1 receptors.
Dr. Park has a broad background in pharmacology, pharmacognosy, biochemistry, environmental toxicology, and food toxicology. She has particular expertise in research areas of food bioactives in obesity and related diseases as well as aging. Previously many vertebrate animals and mammalian tissue cultures were used to conduct my research, however, she has shifted to using invertebrate animal models in her research for obesity and aging. The current research topics were built on unique in a way that connects her research backgrounds and interests in pharmacy, natural product chemistry, biochemistry, nutrition, toxicology, and food science. Dr. Park's ultimate goal in research is to use scientific knowledge to improve human health.
Learn more at https://www.umass.edu/food-science/faculty/yeonhwa-park
Academic Background
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B.S.Seoul National University, Korea, 1984-1988, Pharmacy
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M.S.Seoul National University, Korea, 1988-1990, Pharmacy (Analytical Chemistry/Natural Product Chemistry)
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Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990-1996, Food Sciences (Minor: Environmental Toxicology)
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Postdoc. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990-1996, Food Research Institute (Food Toxicology)
