Paul Park

Paul Park, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine. His primary appointment is in Ophthalmology, with secondary appointments in Pharmacology and Biochemistry. His research focuses on photoreceptor cell biology, rhodopsin structure-function relationships, and molecular mechanisms underlying retinal degeneration. He investigates G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly rhodopsin mutations linked to inherited vision disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa.

• Key Research Areas: Rhodopsin dysfunction, membrane protein organization, protein aggregation, and retinal disease mechanisms.
• Techniques: Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), cryoelectron tomography, and biochemical/biophysical assays.

His lab explores how rhodopsin mutations cause structural instability and aggregation, leading to photoreceptor cell death. Recent work includes studying nanoscale organization of rhodopsin in rod outer segment membranes and the role of palmitoylation in receptor stability.

Publications highlight structural analysis of rhodopsin mutants, oligomerization dynamics, and disease models. No scientific awards explicitly listed in provided texts.

Labs/Teams: The Park Lab at Case Western Reserve University focuses on translational research bridging molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases.