After earning his M.D. and completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago, he left for the NIH in 1963. In 1965, he joined Dr. Frederic Bartter as a senior investigator of the Endocrinology Branch of the National Heart and Lung Institute. Since 1972, he was recruited to Dallas to establish the General Clinical Research Center and to head a new division in Mineral Metabolism at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Currently he holds the Distinguished Chair in Mineral Metabolism and is Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research.
Throughout his career, Dr. Pak has devoted himself to the study of kidney stones and osteoporosis. He has developed three FDA approved orphan drugs for kidney stones, elucidated metabolic causes for stone formation, and devised a multi-test kit for individuals at risk for forming kidney stones. During the past 15 years, he has concentrated on efforts to find an effective calcium supplement and safe use of fluoride. Recently, he established a national training program in clinical research for young physicians.
Dr. Pak has published over 500 scientific articles. In 1987, he received the Distinguished Contribution Award from the American Urological Association. In 1988 he received the United States Public Service Award for Exceptional Achievement in Orphan Products Development and the Bartter Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. He was the 1992 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Chicago. In 1996, he obtained the Commissioners Citation from the FDA.
