UCI Health Physicians

The UCI Health Digestive Health Summit, hosted by the Chao Digestive Health Institute, brought together leading experts from across gastroenterology, surgery, oncology and digestive health for an inspiring three days of learning, collaboration and innovation in Huntington Beach. Through expert‑led talks, interactive case discussions and forward‑thinking panels, attendees explored the latest advances shaping the future of gastrointestinal care. From new gastroenterology insights to hands‑on training and meaningful peer connection, the summit reinforced the commitment to advancing digestive health and improving patient outcomes. Thank you to our faculty, speakers and attendees for making this event a dynamic space to share knowledge, spark ideas and continue pushing digestive care forward.

Under the leadership of Stefan Ciurea, MD, UCI Health is an early leader in establishing the connection between donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) and graft failure in haploidentical transplantation, research that helped inform the ASTCT guidelines for managing mismatched transplants. Now, the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is advancing desensitization strategies, building state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient infrastructure, and laying the groundwork for outpatient transplants and cell therapies to expand access while improving outcomes. #ASH25

Defining the future of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through clinical trials. At the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stefan Ciurea, MD, is leading a new era of personalized, patient-centered cellular therapy. In this video, Ciurea highlights two clinical trials shaping transplant care: • ADAPT – tailoring conditioning regimens to patient comorbidities and relapse risk • BK virus trial – using virus-specific T cells to reduce post-transplant complications With multiple abstracts accepted to #ASH25 and a dedicated NK cell research lab on the horizon, the program continues to push the boundaries of innovation, quality, and compassionate care.

There is a shifting appetite towards utilizing AI in healthcare, according to Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD. "So people who are naturally curious will embrace it," says Pandita, on the topic of how physicians feel about AI in the medical field. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

As the value of AI in the medical field increases, UCI Health is at the forefront of clinical innovation by piloting tools that will improve the quality of healthcare and the efficiency of clinicians. "We have had to head pilots going between DACs, which is a Microsoft nuance product and a bridge, which is, its own company and both use large language models," says Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD. The advancements include a tool UCI Health is piloting called ambient scribing which will make everyday clinical tasks more seamless and allow healthcare providers more time to focus on patient care. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD explains how developing and validating AI models for clinical use requires time, oversight, and continuous refinement. "Any cognitive computing model that you develop, you have to study it for at least a year to 18 months just to make sure that it is functioning the way you designed it," says Pandita. "So models need to be managed for deprecation. And that is a very, very sort of, intense process." Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

Education is critical to advancing the responsible use of AI in clinical practice argues UCI Health Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD. Many physicians are unaware that AI is already embedded in the tools they use every day. Academic institutions have a responsibility to build awareness early by engaging medical students, residents, and fellows. Recognizing how AI functions within clinical systems is the first step toward using it effectively and identifying when something may not be working as expected. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

Education is critical to advancing the responsible use of AI in clinical practice argues UCI Health Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD. Many physicians are unaware that AI is already embedded in the tools they use every day. Academic institutions have a responsibility to build awareness early by engaging medical students, residents, and fellows. Recognizing how AI functions within clinical systems is the first step toward using it effectively and identifying when something may not be working as expected. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

UCI Health Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD explains how standard AI algorithms for sepsis prediction, such as those developed by major EMR vendors, often lack clinical relevance when used without customization. Their impact grows when they can synthesize provider notes, patient history, and other EMR data to generate actionable insights. The true potential of AI in clinical care lies in its ability to adapt to real-world workflows and deliver context-aware support. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

"AI is not going to replace physicians any time soon. But physicians who do not engage with it may miss out on the innovations it brings," says UCI Health Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD. "The real value of AI lies in using it as a clinical partner to enhance efficiency, support decision-making, and strengthen the care team’s capabilities." Staying current with these tools is key to remaining effective in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. Listen to this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Clinical Informatics Deepti Pandita, MD is a national leader in the field of clinical and medical informatics. She drives artificial intelligence (AI) governance, digital transformation, and clinician efficiency initiatives at UCI Health. On this episode of the Physician Huddle #podcast, Pandita explains how AI is no longer a future concept but instead an embedded tool we use to deliver care. While EMRs are often seen as the central hub, clinical workflows rely on hundreds of third-party systems, many of which now include AI components. Understanding this landscape is essential for optimizing patient outcomes and navigating the complexity of modern healthcare technology. Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio.

We are proud to announce the launch of Physician Huddle, a new podcast series by UCI Health for healthcare professionals. Created by physicians, for physicians — Physician Huddle spotlights the science, breakthroughs, and people driving innovation in academic medicine. Hosted by Associate Chief Medical Officer — Ambulatory Sunil Verma, MD MBA and Director of Business Development Lindsay Carrillo, MBA, each episode features candid conversations with UCI Health physician experts on topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnostics, oncology, microsurgery, and ongoing clinical trials. Subscribe and listen today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and various other audio platforms. To learn more, visit: ucihealth.info/physicianhuddle

Associate clinical professor, Elena Rhoads, MD, PhD, introduced today’s keynote presentation from the President of the National Hispanic Health Foundation.

The second half of the first annual UC Latino Physician Consortium will commence soon!

At @UCIrvineHealth, we believe the future of cancer care is rooted in discovery. And discovery happens through clinical research. As the only @theNCI-designated comprehensive cancer center based in Orange County, the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is leading efforts to bring tomorrow’s treatments to patients today. Our teams are advancing new therapies in breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic cancers, as well as in #lymphoma, #leukemia, and #multiplemyeloma. This commitment extends beyond research. It’s about giving patients access to the most advanced, evidence-based care options available, particularly when standard treatments are no longer enough. For example, several studies now enrolling at UCI Health aim to improve outcomes through personalized immunotherapies, novel surgical approaches, or cutting-edge drug combinations. For referring physicians, clinical trials represent another tool to offer patients facing complex or advanced cancers. We welcome collaboration and invite our community partners to reach out with questions or to discuss whether a trial may be appropriate for one of their patients. Learn more about cancer clinical trials currently enrolling at UC Irvine: mailchi.mp/hs.uci.edu/can…

David Lee, MD, board-certified @UCIrvineHealth physician who specializes in musculoskeletal and pain medicine, took the podium to discuss complex regional pain syndrome.

Day 2️⃣ of the 4th Annual UCI Spine by the Sea Symposium.

We are kicking off the 4th Annual UCI Spine by the Sea Symposium!

At @UCIrvineHealth, our mission goes beyond innovation. It’s about delivering world-class spine care with warmth, trust, and compassion. As a leader in academic medicine, we’re proud to offer cutting-edge treatments while striving to be the friendliest place for patients and their physicians to find answers. Watch the complete episode of this Ask the Expert interview between Nitin Bhatia, MD and Oh to learn more about active clinical trials, patient-specific devices, and cross-disciplinary innovation at UCI Health: youtu.be/m9rUxWE9u4I?si… Explore all trials at UCI Health to identify a study for your patient: ucihealth.org/clinical-trial…