Cana Park, PhD

I am a neuroscientist studying how signals in the blood communicate with the brain to shape memory and cognitive resilience in aging and neurological disease. I received my PhD in Neuroscience from POSTECH (South Korea), completed postdoctoral training at UCSF, and am now an Assistant Professor at UMass Amherst.

Outside the lab, I enjoy reading and running.

Truong Thi My Nhung, MD/PhD

I am a postdoctoral researcher in Park Lab at UMass Amherst. My research focuses on understanding how blood factors reshape brain cell states and on developing blood factor-based approaches for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Sonia Jahng, BS

As a research fellow, I contribute to projects that study how platelet factors influence cognition and memory. My work integrates animal models and computational analysis tools to understand the mechanisms underlying cognitive function.
In addition to research, I love film photography and baking! 

Shannon Zhen, BS

I graduated from UMass Amherst in 2023 with a BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology where I studied the aggregation and spread of Tau in neurodegenerative diseases in the Rauch Lab. Following graduation I worked on discovering novel non-opiod based compounds for pain treatment in the Woolf Lab at the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center. I joined the Park Lab in February 2026 as a PhD student in the Neuroscience and Behavior program. My research interests include neurodegenerative disease, aging, and cognition. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, listening to music, and gaming.

Samantha Dhanani, BS

I am a PhD student in the NSB program and a member of the Park and Fénelon Lab, where my research focuses on using electrophysiological approaches to study the effects of platelet factors on cognitive function. I graduated from Barnard College with a BA in Neuroscience and Behavior, where I conducted research for two years in the Muhle Lab at Columbia University. After graduating, I remained in the Muhle Lab for an additional two years as a research assistant. During this time, I used operant conditioning and fiber photometry to study behavior and neural circuitry in a mouse model haploinsufficient for Chd8, a gene highly associated with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Outside of lab I enjoy skiing, running, and hiking. 

Will Mulholland