Researcher Spotlight: Kyoung ‘Shin’ Park | Assistant Professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology

What is your professional background?
I received my PhD in Biobehavioral Health Science at the University of Florida. After that, I worked as a postdoctoral research scientist and graduate faculty in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. My work since then has been focused on understanding the process and benefits of physical activity behavior change, especially for the prevention of cognitive and functional decline in the aging population.

Which division do you work in, and who is your mentor?
I just started working within the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology since October 2024 to direct my ExPHR lab, the Exercise for Precision Health and Rehabilitation Laboratory. I am fortunate to have several, amazing mentors in my career. Currently Camille Vaughan, MD, and Madeleine Hackney, PhD, are helping me settle into Emory.

Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
My current research focuses on testing the efficacy of sonically enhanced personalized music stimulation for physical activity behavior change of preclinical older adult with and without subjective cognitive complaints. Older adults’ low uptake of nationally prescribed physical activity regimen could be due to the failure to improve affective attitude toward physical activity. Exercising with personalized music playlists has shown promise to improve affective attitude toward physical activity and thereby to facilitate behavior change. However, its efficacy and mechanistic underpinning have not been fully tested with physically low-active older adults, a growing population at risk of dementia and other age-related declines.

What do you like most about Emory?
I like the supportive and collaborative research settings at Emory. I also like the new space for physical activity interventions in our Executive Park research suite.

What is your favorite movie or TV show?
My favorite movie would be “Interstellar,” and I really enjoyed “1883,” the prequel to the “Yellowstone” series.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Travel, cook, hike, run, and play with my family.

What is a fun fact about you?
I played Judo in college and thought that I would live a judoka life.