Jean Y. Park, MD

Jean Y. Park, MD, is an endocrinologist at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and a practicing physician with MedStar Health. Dr. Park specializes in the treatment of diabetes and thyroid disorders in adults. Her research focuses on optimal treatments for diabetes and prediabetes. 

Dr. Park currently serves as a co-investigator on two diabetes medication studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. In addition, she is a principal investigator for a randomized, double-blind, event-driven, placebo-controlled, multicenter study on the potential renoprotective effects of a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor used to treat type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Park has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the American Diabetes Association Diabetes Recognition Program for her skill in providing diabetes care. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and has additional certification in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism.

Her medical degree is from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where she also completed an internship and residency in internal medicine. She then completed a clinical fellowship in endocrinology at the National Institutes of Health.

Research Interests

Dr. Park’s research interests include the following:

• Diabetes
• Prediabetes
• Nutrition
• Obesity
• Thyroid disorders

Selected Research

Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE)

Dr. Park is a co-investigator on this NIH-funded study. This study is designed to compare the effects of four different glucose-lowering medications (sulfonylureas, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, glucagon-like receptor agonists, and insulin) when combined with metformin.

Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes Study (D2d)

Dr. Park is a co-investigator on this randomized, clinical, NIH-funded trial. This trial is designed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation is safe and effective in delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes in people at risk for the disease and to gain a better understanding of how vitamin D affects glucose metabolism.

Effects of Canagliflozin on Renal and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy

Dr. Park is a principal investigator on this study sponsored by Janssen Research and Development, LLC. This study will assess whether canagliflozin has a renal and vascular protective effect in reducing the progression of renal impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and macroalbuminuria, who are receiving standard care including an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).

Selected Publications

Park JY, Chong AY, Cochran EK, Kleiner DE, Haller MJ, Schatz DA, Gorden P.  Type 1 diabetes associated with acquired generalized lipodystrophy and insulin resistance: the effect of long-term leptin therapy. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2008;93(1):26-31.

Guettier JM, Park JY, Cochran EK, Poitou C, Basdevant A, Meier M, Clément K, Magré J, Gorden P. Leptin therapy for partial lipodystrophy linked to a PPAR-gamma mutation. Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf). 2008;68(4):547-54.

Park JY, Javor ED, Cochran EK, DePaoli AM, Gorden P. Long-term efficacy of leptin replacement in patients with Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy. Metabolism, 2007; 56(4):508-16.

Park JY, Gavrilova O, Gorden P.  The clinical utility of leptin therapy in metabolic dysfunction. Minerva Endocrinologica. 2006;31(2):125-31. 

Gorden P, Park, JY. The clinical efficacy of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin in metabolic diseases. Archives of Biochemistry and Physiology, 2006; 112(2):114-8.

Visit Dr. Park’s clinical practice page.