Two nationally funded awards propel Sumin Park’s research in cancer care and AI
The College of Nursing is celebrating Sumin Park, PhD, RN, assistant professor, who has received two highly competitive, nationally funded awards recognizing her work at the intersection of cancer survivorship, caregiving, and innovative clinical research.
Park, who joined the college in mid-August 2025, was awarded the Southwest Center for Advancing Clinical and Translational Innovations (SW CACTI) K12/Career Development Grant and was also selected as a trainee in the NIH AIM-AHEAD Bridge2AI: Clinical Care Training Program. These honors together highlight both the reach and future promise of her research agenda.
Park will serve as the principal investigator on the two-year SW CACTI K12/Career Development Grant, which provides support to early-stage investigators as they develop independent, externally funded research programs. Her project focuses on adapting, refining, and pilot-testing MIND-WELL (Mindfulness-based Intervention for Navigation of Dyadic Wellness and Education During Transitions), an innovative intervention designed for lung cancer survivors and their family caregivers as they transition from active treatment to survivorship.
The MIND-WELL intervention combines Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with wellness education through the Symptom Management and Survivorship Handbook. Its goal is to reduce stress, boost well-being, and provide survivors and caregivers with practical tools to handle the physical, emotional, and logistical challenges that frequently accompany survivorship. “This career development award is important because it directly supports the next phase of my research, developing and testing innovative dyadic interventions that enhance the well-being of cancer survivors and their caregivers,” Park said. “It marks a crucial step in my growth as an independent scientist and offers the structured training I need to establish a sustained program of funded intervention research that aligns with the mission of the College of Nursing.”
In addition to her cancer survivorship research, Park was selected as a trainee in the NIH AIM-AHEAD Bridge2AI: Clinical Care Training Program, a rigorous eight-month national program focused on enhancing artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) skills in health research. The program provides a training stipend, covers conference travel expenses, and is part of a major NIH initiative focused on expanding research infrastructure, building a skilled workforce, and speeding up AI/ML innovation across the country.
Through hands-on training, personalized mentorship, and access to NIH data resources, the AIM-AHEAD program prepares participants to use AI and data science tools to tackle real-world clinical challenges. Park said the experience will directly support her work at the college by expanding data-driven approaches to complex health issues and fostering future interdisciplinary collaborations.
“Being selected for AIM-AHEAD confirms the direction of my work and provides advanced training that will help me grow as an independent investigator,” Park said. “Ultimately, I aim to deepen my expertise in AI and machine learning while producing preliminary work that supports future grants and high-impact studies.”
Brian Ahn, PhD, dean of the College of Nursing, praised Park’s achievements and their significance to the college. “Dr. Park is an exceptionally promising assistant professor whose research is timely, impactful, and deeply aligned with our mission,” Ahn said. “These awards highlight her potential as a future leader in cancer survivorship research and reflect our college’s strong commitment to supporting her growth as an independent investigator.”
“Dr. Park brings remarkable focus and creativity to her work, bridging cancer survivorship and emerging AI methods through rigorous, compassionate approaches,” said Juyoung Park, PhD, MSW, FGSA, interim NHS division chair and PhD program director, and Sumin Park’s supervisor. “These awards reflect her strong potential to make a lasting impact on patient- and family-centered cancer care.”
Terry Badger, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC, FAAN, FAPOS, Park’s research mentor and the primary mentor for the SW CACTI award, emphasized Park’s preparedness for the next stage of her career. “Dr. Park’s program of research addresses one of the most urgent challenges in cancer survivorship, supporting patients and family caregivers during complex care transitions,” Badger said. “She has demonstrated professionalism, leadership, and persistence necessary to lead interdisciplinary, multisite studies, and this award is ideally positioned to accelerate her development as an independent scientist.”
Together, these two national recognitions mark an essential milestone early in Park’s career. “I have the opportunity to learn from mentors whose expertise perfectly aligns with my training goals,” she said. Taken together, the awards accelerate Park’s trajectory as an independent investigator and highlight the College of Nursing’s growing national influence in advancing innovative, AI-informed approaches to cancer survivorship care.