Si Hong Park

Si Hong Park serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology at Oregon State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. Additionally, Park holds an affiliation as an Affiliate Professor at the School of Food Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University in the Republic of Korea. Park's research program focuses on developing food safety strategies utilizing genomics, metagenomics, and transcriptomics approaches based on next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics.

Park's educational background includes a B.S. (2004) and M.S. (2006) in Food Science from Kyung Hee University, followed by a Ph.D. (2013) in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas. Park completed post-doctoral training at the University of Arkansas from 2013-2017.

Research interests center on food safety, with particular emphasis on the detection, identification, and control of foodborne pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria, Camyplobacter, and E. coli throughout the food chain from farm to fork. Current work investigates microbiome sequencing in gastrointestinal tracts across humans, food animals, and experimental models to evaluate microbial diversity in response to food/feed supplements and pathogen challenges. Park's laboratory develops molecular techniques for pathogen detection and biofilm control, with applications in food processing environments.

Analysis of Park's recent publications reveals a strong focus on biofilm research, pathogen stress resistance mechanisms, and development of novel molecular detection methods. The work spans multiple food systems including poultry, dairy, meat, seafood, and produce, with particular attention to molecular mechanisms of pathogen survival and innovative intervention strategies. Recent publications demonstrate increasing integration of genomic approaches with traditional food safety methodologies.

• Scholarly Achievement Award, Korea Society of Food Science and Technology (KoSFoST) (July 2022)
• 2020-21 James and Mildred Oldfield/E.R. Jackman Team Award, College of Agricultural Sciences (2021)
• Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award, International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) (October 26, 2020)
• 2019 Distinguished New Professor of the Year, Agricultural Executive Council, College of Agricultural Science, Oregon State University (May 2019)
• Young Investigator Grant, Korean-American Scientists & Engineers Association (August 2018)

Park maintains active professional affiliations with the International Association for Food Protection and the American Society for Microbiology. Research is supported by multiple grants focusing on food safety interventions, pathogen detection methods, and microbiome analysis in food systems. The laboratory employs both culture-dependent and culture-independent methodologies to investigate microbial communities in food environments.

The research program operates within modern facilities at Oregon State University, with capabilities for next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, microbial culturing, and molecular detection method development. Collaborations extend across disciplines including veterinary medicine, nutrition, and agricultural engineering to address complex food safety challenges.