Dr. Seung Bum Park became the founding Chief Executive Officer of SPARK Biopharma in 2016 and is responsible for the overall scientific and business direction of the company. Dr. Park leads SPARK Biopharma’s drug discovery program and oversees a series of discovery projects for small-molecule therapeutics in collaboration with CRI Center for Chemical Proteomics at Seoul National University and external scientific partner companies. Under his leadership, these projects aim to deliver clinical candidates in highly competitive immune-oncology by selectively modulating tumor microenvironment (TME). Dr. Park is currently a professor and director of CRI Center for Chemical Proteomics, Chemistry Department at Seoul National University. Dr. Park received his doctorate in chemistry from Texas A&M University, USA. From 2001 to December 2003, he served as HHMI postdoctoral research associate under the guidance of Prof. Stuart L. Schreiber at Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, where he trained in chemical biology, drug discovery, and molecular diversity.

Dr. Park started his independent career in 2004 at Chemistry Department, Seoul National University, and he has been working on the development of novel therapeutic agents with new modes of action through the combination of molecular diversity (pDOS), phenotypic screening with novel fluorescent bioprobes (Seoul-Fluor), and target identification (FITGE). SPARK Biopharma was found on the basis of novel technology platforms (pDOS, Seoul-Fluor, and FITGE) developed in his CRI Center for Chemical Proteomics. SPARK Biopharma envisions to deliver novel small-molecule therapeutics via new paradigm with CRISPI (Creative, Ready to take risk, Innovative, Self-respect, Passionate, Initiative) idea.