Fluid Endeavour: Kirk Haan's Medical Balancing Act
From Researchers Under the Scope by University of Saskatchewan, OVDR, College of Medicine
August 29, 2025 · 26 min · Season 1 · Episode 92
About this episode
Kirk Haan shares his journey from pharmacy to medical research, focusing on osmoregulation and its implications for neurodegenerative diseases.
Kirk Haan graduated from high school, thinking he'd study pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan, and walk out five years later. After one summer at a pharmacy, Haan realized he was after a more 'hands-on' career in medicine. "I've kind of worked with my hands my whole life, just between rummaging around on a farm and always kind of building things," he said. "Now it's using them to help people in a direct way." Then, Haan found his passion — inside the laboratory. In 2018, Haan landed a summer position in Dr. Thomas Fisher's lab , studying osmoregulation — the mechanisms that govern our bodies' salt and fluid intake and output. He never looked back. By the time he entered medical school, Haan had completed two summer research projects, his honours degree, and his master's thesis in osmoregulation , all under Dr. Fisher's supervision. "He was a really good role model," Haan said, noting he returned to Fisher's lab for up to 30 hours a week during his first and second year of medical school. Haan is set to resume his work at medical school next summer, after he's completed his PhD. Until then, he and Fisher are unravelling mechanisms involved with Synaptotagmin-11, and later…
People in this episode
Guest: Kirk Haan
Topics covered
- osmoregulation
- medical research
- neurodegenerative diseases
- fluid balance
- medical education
Keywords
- osmoregulation
- Kirk Haan
- Dr. Thomas Fisher
- neurodegenerative diseases
- fluid balance
- medical school
- research
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Saskatchewan, OVDR, College of Medicine
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