Alvin P. Chan, MD, PhD

Alvin Chan, MD, PhD, MPH

Dr. Alvin Chan is a pediatric gastroenterologist and physician-scientist in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition at UCLA. He earned his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his M.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. During medical school, he also pursued an M.P.H. at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he studied how the built environment influences eating behaviors and obesity. This early interest in obesity prevention later evolved into a focus on the molecular mechanisms that regulate nutrient absorption in metabolic disease.

Dr. Chan completed both his pediatric residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at UCLA. His efforts during fellowship were recognized with the Shapiro Award and the Fellow Award for Excellence in Teaching. During this time, he pivoted toward basic science research through the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program, earning a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology under the mentorship of Drs. Elizabeth Tarling and Thomas Vallim. His research examines the regulation of intestinal absorption across different pathophysiological contexts and has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the UCLA Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute, and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

In addition to research, Dr. Chan leads the gastroenterology efforts within the UCLA Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center. He is a recipient of the Developing Innovative Gastroenterology Specialty Training (DIGEST) Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a three-year grant that supports advanced clinical training in the GI care of patients with cystic fibrosis. He is an active member in the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), where he served on the Nutrition Committee and now currently in the Pancreas Committee.