Gyeongsu (David) Park

David was born and raised in Korea (and, yes, it was the South - let's avoid the suspense). After completing two years of mandatory military service, he transferred to the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in Canada, where he earned his BS in Chemistry and Medical Science in 2014. Driven by a passion for research, he continued at UWO, completing his PhD in Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Robert H.E. Hudson, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of modified nucleobases in Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) and DNA. In 2024, David joined the Watts Lab to explore the therapeutic applications of chemically modified nucleic acids. His current research focuses on developing peptide-conjugated oligonucleotides for treating muscular diseases. Outside the lab, David is a weekend enthusiast of social activities, chemistry experiments in the kitchen, and cheering on baseball teams. He claims he once practiced taekwondo, dabbled in camping, water sports, skiing, and snowboarding - when his schedule and body cooperated. And while he may not bounce back quite as easily as he used to, he’s pretty sure he could still kick up some dust (or maybe just his own feet) if the taekwondo mat calls again!