John Park, MD, PhD, has been named chief of neurological surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, where he leads a neurosurgical team that provides world-class care for conditions of the brain and spine. He was also recruited to serve as professor of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Park, an extraordinary leader, skilled surgeon and dedicated educator, who will be instrumental in elevating our brain and spine program in Queens,” says Jaclyn Mucaria, president of NewYork-Presbyterian Queens. “His commitment to patients and his expertise as a surgeon will be a tremendous asset to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and the patients we serve.”
Dr. Park, who has expertise in the treatment of brain and spinal tumors and degenerative disorders of the cervical and lumbar spine, joins a team that provides the full range of treatment for neurosurgical conditions. Before joining NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, he founded and served as the medical director of the multidisciplinary Brain and Spinal Tumor Program at Cottage Health in Santa Barbara, California. Dr. Park also had an active practice providing neurosurgical treatment for patients with neck and low back pain and other spinal disorders. He has particular expertise in the use of minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques.
Prior to his work in California, Dr. Park developed a national reputation at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for the surgical treatment of low-grade gliomas (types of tumors that occur in the brain and spinal cord) and recurrent malignant gliomas. He also served as the principal neurosurgeon for patients enrolled in National Cancer Institute clinical trials for malignant gliomas.
“I am delighted that Dr. Park will lead our neurological surgery team at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens,” says Dr. Philip E. Stieg, neurosurgeon-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and director of the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center. “We are committed to providing the very best care to communities in Queens, so that patients can find the experts they need right in their own neighborhood, and we look forward to Dr. Park’s leadership.”
Dr. Park has received numerous awards, including from the Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Brain Tumor Association, the New England Cancer Society, and the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation, among others.
“I’m looking forward to serving the residents of Queens and bringing comprehensive neuroscience care to our local communities,” says Dr. Park. “I am fortunate to have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life on a daily basis. It is an honor and a privilege to have patients and their families put their trust in me, and I am excited to lead a highly skilled team dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for patients.”
Dr. Park grew up and attended public schools in Queens and Manhattan, later receiving his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude (with high honors), from Brown University and earning his medical degree and doctorate at Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency training in neurosurgery at Harvard at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital, completed a research fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and received advanced spine training at the Cleveland Clinic.