Team
Joon Seok Park, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator / Assistant Professor of Medicine, Biological Science Division, Committee on Immunology, Committee on Cancer Biology, University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duchossois Family Institute, University of Chicago
Joon grew up in Pohang, South Korea, a small city with a rich scientific community. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry with high honor from Yonsei University, Seoul. He served in the 8th U.S. Army as a KATUSA soldier (ROK Army). He was inspired by Dr. James Allison’s talk on cancer immunotherapy and moved to the U.S. to pursue a PhD in Immunology. Joon studied the role of epigenetic regulators in T-cell mediated immunity in the laboratory of Sasha Tarakhovsky at Rockefeller University and earned his PhD in Immunology from Cornell University. He completed his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Arlene Sharpe in the Department of Immunology at Harvard Medical School, where he discovered a novel microbiome-dependent signaling pathway in the immune system. In 2024, he joined the University of Chicago to develop a new concept in immunology and work towards curing cancer by studying the interactions between the immune system and commensal microbes. Besides science, Joon enjoys mentoring young scientists and trainees. His mentoring philosophy is to “Keep the mentee motivated through effective communication”. Joon considers community important and he served as the 38th president of New England Bioscience Society. He was also a part-time independent consultant for a pharmaceutical company. Besides professional activities, he loves soccer, jiu-jitsu, playing the guitar, and history.
Shrey Sindhwani
Postdoctoral Fellow
Shrey grew up in Delhi, India, and moved with his family to Canada at the age of 18. He completed a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Nanotechnology Engineering from the University of Waterloo. He was then inspired by his research experiences in Boston to pursue an MD/PhD, which he subsequently completed at the University of Toronto in 2021. His graduate work was in the lab of Dr. Warren Chan, where he focused on the mechanisms of cancer nanomedicine. Specifically, he developed a 3D mapping technique for tumors to identify the precise location of nanoparticles and the surrounding microenvironment. He also discovered the mechanism for the entry of nanoparticles into solid tumors. He then completed his Internal Medicine training in 2024 in Toronto and is now pursuing a Hematology-Oncology Fellowship at the University of Chicago. Outside of the lab, he likes to read, explore coffee (trained as a Barista a long time ago!), and follow his favorite football (soccer!) team, Arsenal, on the weekend.
Lena Eunkyung Lee
Research Assistant (Master Student in Biological Science Division)
Lena is currently pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Science at the University of Chicago, concentrating in Healthcare System Science. Her background includes project management in genetic research, as well as experience in data generation and international research collaborations. She also brings industry experience from the pharmaceutical sector, where she specialized in quality assurance and compliance. Lena looks forward to contributing her skills to support the lab’s research initiatives and advance our shared goals.
Sadye Lackman
Undergraduate Student (Molecular Engineering Major)
Sadye is an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago with a Molecular Engineering major (’26). She is from Los Angeles. She is interested in immunology as it pertains to cancer research and therapies. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, sewing, and trying new coffee shops.