NewYork-Presbyterian Queens in Flushing has named Dr. John Park as chief of neurological surgery, where he’ll lead a team that provides world-class care for conditions of the brain and spine.
Park was also recruited to serve as professor of neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“I’m looking forward to serving the residents of Queens and bringing comprehensive neuroscience care to our local communities,” Park said. “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.”
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 a full range of treatment for neurological conditions. Before joining NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, he founded and served as the medical director of the multidisciplinary Brain and Spinal Program at Cottage Health in Santa Barbara, CA.
Park also had an active practice providing neurological 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.
“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,” NewYork-Presbyterian Queens President Jaclyn Mucaria said. “His commitment to patients and his expertise as a surgeon will be a tremendous asset to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and the patients we serve.”
Prior to his work in California, Park developed a national reputation at the National Institute of Health Clinic Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for the surgical treatment of low-grade gliomas, the types of tumors that occur in the brain and spinal cords, and recurrent malignant gliomas. He also served as the principal neurosurgeon for patients enrolled in the National Cancer Institute clinical trials for malignant gliomas.
“I am delighted Dr. Park will lead our neurological surgery team at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens,” said Dr. Philip E. Stieg, neurosurgeon-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian Queens/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.”
Park has received numerous awards, including from the Joint Section of 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.
He grew up and attended public schools in Queens and Manhattan, later receiving his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude with honors, from Brown University, and earning his medical degree and doctorate at Harvard Medical School. Park 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 Cleveland Clinic.
