Pal Koak ’23

Hometown: Austin, MN

Major: Health Sciences

Area of Focus: Research, Discovery and Cures

The make-it-your-own feel and the proximity to Mayo Clinic is what drew Pal Koak ‘23 to the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR). “It was a no-brainer for me to apply to UMR,” shared Koak. 

This flexibility provided Koak with the opportunity to tailor his experience and allowed him to dedicate focused time for his research on gene-editing technology and the effects of genetic alterations on Alzheimer’s. Koak also prioritized time for  enriching activities such as reading and writing. 

“The time I spent in the lab and giving myself time to read and write allowed me to hone in on what facets of science and medicine fascinated me and how I saw myself contributing to research and patient care in my career,” shared Koak. 

His passion for research has propelled him to Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he is currently doing research studying pancreatic cancer. His studies focus on cancer interception and the early disease process of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. 

Learn more about the Research, Discovery and Cures area of focus at UMR.