Dr. James Park is an innovative researcher bridging chemical engineering and systems biology to advance our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in complex biological systems. James Park has been an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane University since 2025, having joined the faculty in 2025 to establish his independent research program. Dr. Park earned his B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University before gaining valuable industry experience at Merck & Co., Inc., where he initially worked as a process engineer supporting live viral vaccine manufacturing and later transitioned into process R&D for monoclonal antibody production. He then pursued his doctoral studies at the University of Delaware under the mentorship of Dr. Babatunde Ogunnaike, with co-mentorship from Drs. Jim Schwaber and Rajanikanth Vadigepalli at Thomas Jefferson University, culminating in a PhD focused on engineering approaches to analyze gene expression heterogeneity at the single neuron level.
Dr. Park's groundbreaking research has developed novel conceptual frameworks and quantitative models that successfully reconcile single-cell transcriptional heterogeneity with the robust regulation of physiological systems, particularly in cardiovascular function. His doctoral work established innovative methodologies for analyzing gene expression patterns at the single neuron level, creating new pathways for understanding how biological systems maintain stability despite cellular variability. Following his PhD, Dr. Park expanded his expertise during a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Systems Biology, where he pioneered computational and experimental approaches to identify gene regulatory network mechanisms driving tumor cell heterogeneity in glioblastoma at the single-cell level. This work has significant implications for understanding cancer progression and developing more targeted therapeutic approaches for this aggressive form of brain cancer, representing a critical integration of engineering principles with advanced biological analysis.
Dr. Park's research program at Tulane University continues to push the boundaries of multi-omic analysis at the single-cell level, with particular focus on cellular heterogeneity in complex disease states. His interdisciplinary approach, combining chemical engineering principles with cutting-edge computational biology, has positioned him as an emerging leader in the integration of quantitative methods with biological discovery. Dr. Park actively collaborates with clinicians and basic scientists to translate his findings into potential clinical applications, particularly in the realm of precision medicine for neurological disorders and cancer. His future research directions include developing more sophisticated models of cellular decision-making processes and exploring how multi-omic heterogeneity can be leveraged to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. As a dedicated educator, Dr. Park is committed to training the next generation of researchers at the intersection of engineering and biology, preparing students to tackle complex challenges in biomedical research through rigorous quantitative approaches.
