Positions
- Vice President of the Learning Health System
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Թ of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Chair and Professor
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Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine
Թ of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Director
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Texas Medical Center Digestive Diseases Center
Houston, Texas
- Gastroenterology Section Chief (2007-2016)
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Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Houston, Texas
- Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Section
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Թ of Medicine
Houston, Texas
- Editor in Chief (2012-2017)
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Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology
American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Journal
Addresses
- Baylor Medicine at the McNair Campus (Clinic)
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7200 Cambridge St., 8th Floor
Houston, TX, 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-0950
Clinic Website
Education
- MPH from University of New Mexico
- 01/1998 - Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Fellowship at University of New Mexico
- 06/1997 - Albuquerque, NM, United States
- Gastroenterology
- Internship at St. Michael's Medical Center
- 06/1993 - Newark, NJ, United States
- Residency at Greenwich Hospital/Yale University
- 06/1995 - Greenwich, United States
- Internal Medicine
- MD from Al-Arab Medical University
- 01/1991 - Benghazi, Libya
Certifications
- Internal Medicine
- American Board of Internal Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- American Board of Internal Medicine
Honors & Awards
- 2026 - Julius Friedenwald Medal, American Gastroenterological Association
- 2026 - TAKREEM America Foundation Scientific & Technological Achievement Award
- 2025 - Texas Super Doctors
- 2024 - William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology
- 2024 - “World's Most Influential Scientific Minds” in the area of Clinical Medicine by Thomson Reuters, 2014-2024
- 2023 - Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2023 - Texas Top Doctors, 2011-2023
- 2022 - Internal Medicine and Educators, Who’s Who in America
- 2020 - Houston’s Best Doctors, 2009-2020
- 2016 - Ben Quarah Award, NAAMA Local Chapter Prestigious Award
- 2016 - Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award
- 2015 - Best Doctors in America®, 2009-2015
- 2014 - Top Doctors of the Year
- 2011 - Blue Faery Award for Excellence in Liver Cancer Research
- 2010 - Charles Mörtel Lecture, International Cancer Society
- 2008 - American Society for Clinical Investigators (ASCI)
- 2006 - American Gastroenterological Association's Masters Award in Clinical Research
- 2002 - American Gastroenterological Association's Young Clinical Investigator Award
- 1999 - Research Mentor Award, University of New Mexico
Professional Interests
- Barrett's esophagus
- Dyspepsia and gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Viral hepatitis
- Chronic liver disease
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Screening and surveillance of GI and liver cancers
- Epidemiology and outcomes of digestive disorders
- Colonoscopy and Upper Endoscopy
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Fatty Liver
Professional Statement
I currently serve as the Vice President of the Learning Health System and the Chair of the Margaret M. and Albert B. Alkek Department of Medicine at Թ of Medicine, where I also direct the NIH-funded Texas Medical Center Digestive Disease Center and practice clinically at Baylor Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.
My vision centers on integrating data-driven insights into patient care and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration. In 2023, I launched the Learning Health System Initiative at Թ of Medicine to accelerate evidence-based genomic medicine and create a continuously improving healthcare ecosystem.
My research focuses on digestive disorders, particularly chronic liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and Barrett’s esophagus. I have published over 680 peer-reviewed articles (H-index 165), consistently ranking among the world’s top 1% most-cited clinical researchers. My work has shaped national guidelines and earned recognition from NPR and The New York Times. I have secured more than 70 research grants and served as Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology and President of the American Gastroenterological Association (2019).
Before joining Baylor in 1999, I earned my MD from Al-Arab Medical University in Libya, completed residency at Yale’s Greenwich Hospital, and a G.I. fellowship and MPH at the University of New Mexico. I am passionate about mentoring future physician-scientists and advancing healthcare through bold initiatives in research and education.
My vision centers on integrating data-driven insights into patient care and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration. In 2023, I launched the Learning Health System Initiative at Թ of Medicine to accelerate evidence-based genomic medicine and create a continuously improving healthcare ecosystem.
My research focuses on digestive disorders, particularly chronic liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and Barrett’s esophagus. I have published over 680 peer-reviewed articles (H-index 165), consistently ranking among the world’s top 1% most-cited clinical researchers. My work has shaped national guidelines and earned recognition from NPR and The New York Times. I have secured more than 70 research grants and served as Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology and President of the American Gastroenterological Association (2019).
Before joining Baylor in 1999, I earned my MD from Al-Arab Medical University in Libya, completed residency at Yale’s Greenwich Hospital, and a G.I. fellowship and MPH at the University of New Mexico. I am passionate about mentoring future physician-scientists and advancing healthcare through bold initiatives in research and education.
Videos
Selected Publications
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Stephen Lam Chan, Hui-Chuan Sun, Yang Xu, Hongmei Zeng, Hashem B El-Serag, Jeong Min Lee, et al.. " " Lancet. 2025 Aug 16; 406 (10504) : P731-778.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Kanwal F, Kramer JR, Li L, Yang YX, Cao Y, Yu X, Samuel R, Ali B, Desiderio R, Cholankeril G, Bajaj M, Asch SM. " " JAMA Intern Med.. 2024 Nov 1; 11 (184) : 1314–1323.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Rustgi A, El-Serag HB. " " N. Engl. J. Med. 2015 Apr ; 372 (15) : 1472-3.
Pubmed PMID: . -
El-Serag HB, Kanwal F, Davila JA, Kramer J, Richardson P. " " Gastroenterology. 2014 May ; 146 (5) : 1249-55.e1.
Pubmed PMID: .
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