Dr. Pak is a tenured Associate Professor, and completed her undergraduate, graduate (MS, MTR-Master of Science in Translational Research from the Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics), and PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Pak is a native to Philadelphia.  Dr. Pak conducted post-doctoral research in Sleep Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at Perelman School of Medicine. Her overall research is focused on disturbed sleep as a predictor of adverse health outcomes. Dr. Pak's research has significantly advanced our understanding of sleep disorders and their connections with chronic diseases. Dr. Pak has expertise in sleep medicine, biomarkers, and translational research. 

Dr. Pak has led over a dozen research studies and clinical trials, and has also secured federal funding from NIH. Dr. Pak conducted the first-ever study examining metabolomics in the context of sleepiness, and identified metabolite associations with symptoms and cardiovascular disease risk. She conducted a pioneering candidate gene study, identifying a variant linked to sleepiness-which leads the way for future treatments targeting symptoms and reducing cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease risk. Her work on examining the biological, metabolomic, and genetic mechanisms of sleepiness and the impact of continuous positive airway pressure on cell adhesion molecules in persons with obstructive sleep apnea has garnered recognition from leading organizations such as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Mayo Clinic. 

Dr. Pak's work has been published in journals such as the International Journal of Obesity-Nature (London), Metabolomics, and SLEEP. 

The goal of her research is to improve sleep and quality of life of individuals and families.