Dr. Song Park Awarded American Hair Research Society Grant for Mentorship Development

Congratulations to Dr. Song Park, Acting Instructor in the UW Medicine Division of Dermatology, who has been selected to receive a grant from the American Hair Research Society (AHRS) to support her research, career development and mentorship experience focused on hair disorders and disease.

Dr. Park will receive travel grant funding through the AHRS’s 2022 Mentorship Grant Program to establish a mentor-mentee relationship with Dr. Ronda S. Farah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Director of Medical Dermatology at M Health Maple Grove in Minneapolis, Minn.

The AHRS Mentorship Program supports resident trainees, postdoctoral fellows, scientists and dermatologists in the early stages of their career for short-term projects while they learn about hair disease with researchers experienced in investigation, diagnosis and treatment of hair disorders. Under Dr. Farah’s mentorship, Dr. Park will work to develop new skills and expand her scope of research interests.

“For this particular grant, our main goal is to establish long-term mentorships with national leaders in hair research,” says Dr. Park. “The grant will support travel expenses so I can meet and talk with these experts about future research projects.”

Dr. Park was first introduced to Dr. Farah ad her research in 2021 when Dr. Farah delivered a lecture at the Seattle Dermatologic Society (SDS). Soon after, Dr. Park connected with Dr. Farah about becoming her mentee to learn more about her clinical expertise. Throughout her medical training, Dr. Park’s interest in the field of hair was also encouraged and supported by mentors from the Division of Dermatology including Michi Shinohara, MD, Russell Caldwell, MD, and Paul Nghiem, MD, with whom she worked closely in her previous role as a clinical research fellow in the Nghiem Laboratory.

“During my residency training, I was fortunate to work with great mentors who specialized in hair disorders,” says Dr. Park. “In addition to the clinical knowledge and skills, I learned that there are a lot of research opportunities in this field, for which I enjoyed. As I develop my career as an academic dermatologist, I have been highly motivated in being an expert in an area where I can expand my research interest and balance clinical skills.”

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Park for earning this fantastic achievement!