Charles Pak, M.D.

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 Commissioner¿s Citation from the FDA.

Undergraduate

University of Chicago (1958)

Medical School

University of Chicago (1964)

• Endocrinology
• Kidney stones
• Mineral Metabolism
• Osteoporosis

Featured Publications

Prevention of thiazide-induced hypokalemia without magnesium depletion by potassium-magnesium citrate

Odvina CV, Mason RP, Pak CYC American Journal of Therapeutics 2006 13 101-108

Reduction in normalized bone elasticity following long-term bisphosphonate treatment as measured by ultrasound critical angle reflectometry

Richer E, Lewis MA, Odvina CV, Vazquez MA, Smith BJ, Peterson RD, Poindexter JR, Antich PP, Pak CY Osteoporosis Int Fall 2005 16:11 1384-1392

Cloning and characterization of the human soluble adenylyl cyclase

Geng W, Wang Z, Zhang J, Reed BY, Pak CY, Moe OW Am J Physiol Cell Physiol Summer 2005 288:6 C1305-C1316

Severely suppressed bone turnover: a potential complication of alendronate therapy

Odvina CV, Zerwekh J, Rao S, Maalouf NM, Gottschalk F, Pak CYC J Clin Endoc Metab 2005 90 1294-1301

Physicochemical-metabolic characteristics for calcium oxalate stone formation in patients with gouty diathesis

Pak CYC, Moe, OW, Sakhaee K, Poindexter JR, Peterson RD Journal of Urology 2005 173 1606-1609

Intestinal hyperabsorption of calcium and low bone turnover in hypercalciuric postmenopausal osteoporosis

Odvina CV, Poindexter JR, Peterson R, Pak CYC Urol Res October 2008 36 233-9

New methods of assessing crystal growth and saturation of brushite in whole urine: effect of pH, calcium and citrate

Pak CYC, Rodgers K, Poindexter, JR, Sakhaee K J Urol October 2008 180 1532-7

Mechanism of urinary calcium regulation by urinary magnesium and pH

Bonny O, Rubin A, Huang C-L, Frawley WH, Pak CYC, Moe OW J Amer Soc Nephrol April 2008 Epub ahead of print

Pharmacotherapy of kidney stones

Pak CYC Expert Opin Pharmacother 2008 9 1509-1518

Medical stone management: personal reflections on 35 years of advances

Pak CYC AUA News 2008 Convention Issue 2008 13 14-15

• Chancellor’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award
  (2007)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, 10th International Symposium on Urolithiasis, Hong Kong
  (2004)
• Named designation in perpetuity Charles & Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research by University of Texas System
  (2003)
• Distinguished Achievement Award, American Lithotripsy Society
  (2002)
• Scribner Award, ASN
  (2000)