Bio
Alex Bak is a physician, researcher, and digital health innovator with a focus on improving care for people living with chronic pain, disability, and those undergoing surgery. His work sits at the intersection of pain, mood, evaluation, and biomedical data science. His research uses advanced modelling on large-scale data to understand how these conditions and novel therapies shape long-term health.
Alex has received broad international recognition for his academic contributions, delivering over 25 podium presentations at premier scientific meetings worldwide. His work has earned several distinctions, including back-to-back Best Papers Awards at the North American Spine Society meetings (2022, 2023) and a finalist placement for the Canadian Orthopaedic Association's Founder's Medal. His work has been further highlighted by honours such as the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Award and the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society Abstract Award. His work has been funded by the Canadian Anesthesia Research Foundation, Institute of Medical Science and the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.
In 2024, Alex was elected co-Chair of the Resident Section of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS) and a member of the CAS Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee. Subsequently, he was appointed as board member of the CAS Board of Directors.
Alex grew up in Seoul and rural South Korea, later moving to Southern Ontario. He completed medical school and advanced training in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto, where he is currently a resident physician in the Deparmtent of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine.
Timeline
Dept. of Neurology and Neurosurgery
Funding: T. Russell Wilkins Memorial Scholarship, Global Experience Award
• Led technology validation with randomized, double-blind controlled trial
• Published in peer-reviewed anatomy education journal