Originally from Toronto, Canada, Dr. Pasternak finished an undergraduate degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology at McGill University in Montreal. He studied medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton and continued there for his Surgical Training. His interest in Endocrine surgery brought him to UCSF for a Clinical Fellowship. His research interests are in surgical outcomes, endocrine cancers as well as functional and nonfunctional neuroendocrine tumors. He is also active in health policy.