Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD
Benjamin F. Byrd, Jr. Chair in Oncology
Director, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Dr. Park attended The University of Chicago for his AB degree, followed by dual training at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where he received both his MD and PhD degrees. Dr. Park then trained in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at The University of Pennsylvania prior to completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Bert Vogelstein at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Park joined the faculty in the Breast Cancer Program at The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in 2002, and was Professor of Oncology, Associate Director of Education and Research Training and Associate Dean of Postdoctoral Affairs for the School of Medicine. In 2018, he joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, Associate Director for Translational Research, and Director of Precision Oncology. Dr. Park became Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology in 2020, and then in 2022 was named Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. He is currently the Benjamin F. Byrd, Jr. Professor in Oncology and Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Park’s research program involves identifying and validating genetic targets for breast cancer therapy and diagnostics. In particular, Dr. Park has pioneered the use of “liquid biopsies” to help guide the management of breast cancer therapies. He has also led the formation and implementation of molecular tumor boards at Johns Hopkins and other institutions, and more recently at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center regionally, nationally and internationally. He is Chief Medical Officer for the Global Cancer Institute, a Komen Scholar, a member of the scientific advisory board of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Co-Director of the Breast Cancer SPORE program at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, a member of the NCI Breast Steering Committee, and a founding member of the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) Cancer Equity Leaders (CEL).
With a specialty in male breast cancer research and clinical care of men with breast cancer, Dr. Park has been an invited keynote speaker at the MBCGA’s Annual Conference multiple years. He has published widely on the genetics of male breast cancer as well as reviews regarding the clinical management of men with this disease. Many therapies for men with breast cancer are based upon studies conducted in women with breast cancer, and so are usually derived from the extrapolation of these data. Today, thanks to advocates, physicians and other health care providers and researchers, men are no longer excluded from breast cancer clinical trials and there are several initiatives to perform studies on male breast cancer exclusively. Dr. Park has lent his expertise for various studies focusing specifically on male breast cancer and continues to advocate for more research devoted to breast cancer in men.