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About Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD

Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, is a board-certified general gastroenterologist with a particular interest in obesity and metabolism. Dr. Zarrinpar sees patients with troubling signs and symptoms involving the digestive system. This includes abdominal pain, acid reflux, blood in vomit or stool, bloating or gas, constipation, diarrhea, difficulty or painful swallowing, indigestion, and nausea and vomiting. He performs therapeutic and diagnostic colonoscopies and esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs), including colon cancer screening.

Dr. Zarrinpar is also involved with basic, translational, and clinical science on the role of the gut and the microbiome in obesity and metabolic disease. In particular, he is interested in how restricted feeding, the gut microbiome, and nutrigenomics (one's genetic information) affect metabolism. He does his research in partnership with The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, VA San Diego Health System, and the Veterans Medical Research Fund. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Heart Association, and the San Diego Center for Systems Biology.

Dr. Zarrinpar joined the gastroenterology division at UC San Diego Health in 2013. He is a member of numerous scientific and professional societies, including the American Gastroenterology Association, American College of Gastroenterology, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and The Obesity Society.

As an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Dr. Zarrinpar trains gastroenterologists during their fellowship, as well as medical students and resident physicians during their medical education and training.

Dr. Zarrinpar earned his bachelors at Harvard University and then came to University of California, San Diego for a combined MD/PhD program in 1999. His doctoral research was on a network of neurons in the visual cortex that process visual information. Hoping to use his research training to address metabolic disease, he further trained in a research residency/fellowship at University of California, San Diego in 2008 prior to becoming a faculty member.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Gastroenterology.

Medical DegreeUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CADoctoral DegreeUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CADegreeHarvard University, Cambridge, MAInternshipUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CAResidencyUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CAFellowshipUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
GenderMale
LanguagesPersian
Date Joined Staff2013-08-15
Board Certifications
American Board of Internal MedicineGastroenterologyHepatology
Gastroenterology
Endocrinology

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