William Parks PhD

William Parks is currently working as a Professor, Associate Dean, Director, and Scientific Director at Cedars Sinai. He is a basic scientist studying tissue repair, extracellular matrix, immunity, and host-pathogen interactions with an emphasis on lung diseases and the function of specific matrix metalloproteinases. He received his doctorate in anatomy and cell biology in 1982 from the Medical College of Wisconsin and did postdoctoral training in cancer biology at Michigan State University, and in lung biology at Washington University in St. Louis. He remained at Washington University for nearly 20 years, rising through the ranks to become a professor of Pediatrics, Cell Biology & Physiology, and Medicine. He also was director of the Developmental Lung Biology Program, which supported scientific cores, educational events, symposia, and fellowships promoting lung-related research. In 2004, he was recruited to the University of Washington in Seattle, where he established and directed the Center for Lung Biology and held the Endowed Chair in Pulmonary Disease Research.