Kirk J. Wangensteen, M.D., Ph.D.

Kirk J. Wangensteen, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist who is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. He is also an Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. He specializes in the genetics of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including hereditary cancer syndromes such as Lynch Syndrome and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis syndrome.

Dr. Wangensteen completed the combined M.D./Ph.D. training program at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He obtained internal medicine training at the University of Vermont and gastroenterology and hepatology training at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is the gastrointestinal neoplasia clinic director at Mayo Clinic. The clinical practice focuses on treating and managing stomach and colon polyps and cancer. The clinic also focuses on managing risk of future development of cancers of the GI tract, particularly related to genetic predisposition syndromes. He regularly recommends genetic testing to patients to help them better understand disease etiology, such as with early-onset cancer. He performs diagnostic tests, counsels patients and evaluates laboratory results.