Adarsh M. Thaker, MD

Dr. Thaker is an interventional endoscopist who performs minimally invasive advanced endoscopic procedures. He is co-leading the UCLA Bariatric and Metabolic Endoscopy Program. There, he performs endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) for weight loss as well as gastric revision procedures, such as transoral outlet reduction (TORe) and sleeve revision, for patients who have regained weight after gastric bypass or sleeve surgery. He believes in innovation and is deeply involved in clinical trials evaluating two groundbreaking new endoscopic procedures, including duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR) and recellularization via electroporation therapy (ReCET). These procedures may treat type 2 diabetes and may also help preserve weight loss after discontinuation of GLP-1 type medications. He was the first provider in California to perform the DMR procedure.

In addition, Dr. Thaker has specialized training in other advanced therapies, including endoscopic suturing, fistula and leak closure, endoscopic resection of large polyps (endoscopic mucosal resection, EMR and endoscopic submucosal dissection, ESD), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), stent placement, treatment of Barrett's esophagus, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoluminal surgery, and other procedures.

Dr. Thaker is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. Dr. Thaker's research has focused on weight loss and metabolic therapies, Barrett's esophagus, eliminating endoscope-related infections to improve patient safety, helping to develop and implement the use of the world's first available disposable duodenoscope. He has multiple published multiple research studies, literature reviews, editorials, and chapters on these topics.

Dr. Thaker served on the national committee for the American Gastroenterological Association's (AGA) Center for GI Innovation and Technology (CGIT), which supports innovation and the development of new technologies for use in gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition and obesity management. He was also co-chair of the AGAs educational program on Innovations in Duodenoscopes. He completed his undergraduate training in chemical engineering at UCLA before attending medical school at New York Medical College. He completed his internal medicine residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, followed by gastroenterology fellowship and advanced endoscopy fellowship training at UCLA. In addition to performing advanced procedures at UCLA Health campuses in Westwood and Santa Monica, Dr. Thaker performs select procedures in the UCLA Health North Hollywood procedure unit and at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center.