Ipek Kocak

Ipek is going into her fourth year as an undergraduate student at Western University studying Physiology with a minor in Pharmacology. She joined UAEM in 2022 and has since served as VP Advocacy and is the current Co-President of the UAEM Western chapter. In these roles, she led Access to Medicines Week campaigns, organized skill-building workshops, and helped foster cross-chapter collaboration. Ipek is passionate about mobilizing students to take action on health equity and ensuring that access to medicine is treated as a human right. Beyond UAEM, Ipek is involved in nephrology research at the University of Texas Medical Branch and previously worked on a qualitative study at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto focused on improving emergency care through a patient-centered app. As Co-President, her goals for the year include launching a campaign on clinical trial transparency, advocating for broader medication coverage under her university’s pharmacare program, and mentoring new student leaders within the UAEM network. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine informed by global health justice and systems-level change.