UCLA gastroenterologist named holder of the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in Integrative Digestive Health

Dr. Lin Chang, an internationally renowned gastroenterologist and researcher at UCLA, has been appointed the inaugural holder of the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in Integrative Digestive Health. Chang is also director of the recently established UCLA Walter and Shirley Wang Center for Integrative Digestive Health.

The chair empowers the director to advance the center’s goal of expanding access to digestive healthcare that prioritizes physical and emotional well-being. Shirley and Walter Wang created the endowed chair as a permanent appointment in order to provide crucial resources for a distinguished faculty member in the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases with expertise in integrative digestive health.

“It is an extraordinary honor to hold the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in Integrative Digestive Health, which is already opening so many doors and redefining what’s possible in gastrointestinal (GI) disease treatment,” Chang said. “I am immensely grateful to the Wangs for recognizing the power of whole-person care and providing the center with the means to deliver these vital services to as many people as we can.”

Philanthropists and business magnates Walter and Shirley Wang are known for leading international pipe manufacturer JM Eagle and door manufacturer Plastpro. They are longtime supporters of UCLA. Their recent $25 million investment in integrative digestive health marks their largest contribution to the university over 18 years of giving — funding the center, the chair and a fellowship in the division of digestive diseases.

“On behalf of our caregivers, staff and patients, I cannot thank the Wangs enough for the profound difference they are making here at UCLA Health,” said Dr. John C. Mazziotta, vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences and CEO of UCLA Health. “An endowed chair is among the most meaningful gifts an academic medical center can receive. This investment will yield transformative results at every level — from training and research to access and care.”

The couple was moved to give back after their son benefited from the innovative treatment he received at UCLA Health for his chronic, debilitating digestive issues. The key was integrative care: a patient-centered approach that addresses all aspects of a person’s well-being ­— not just their physical health. Complementary services include nutrition counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, gut-directed hypnotherapy, relaxation training, stress management and mindfulness. 

Access to holistic care

“UCLA Health provided our son customized, comprehensive treatment. They guided him through medical care, breathing exercises and connected him with a dietitian,” Shirley said. “We’re so glad that they looked at everything holistically. After that, he was able to do all these things: go to work, go to college, compete as a Division I athlete. He can live a full life.”

Of utmost importance to the Wangs, the chair holder and the center is reducing wait times for integrative digestive care. Under Chang’s leadership, the average duration from request to appointment for GI psychology services has shrunk by roughly 90%, from seven months to two weeks.

The Wangs helped make this dream a reality by enabling the center to hire a licensed clinical social worker, two dietitians and two psychologists who specialize in GI care. They have strengthened a multidisciplinary team that already included three GI psychologists and five GI dietitians. Plans are in place to recruit an additional psychologist and licensed clinical social worker.

An effort led by Chang to reimagine the traditional care model by offering an extensive menu of group sessions and educational courses — in concert with individualized treatment — has also eliminated barriers and enhanced the overall patient experience.

“It’s kind of like the more the merrier,” Walter said. “A lot of doctors are so smart — so dedicated and diligent. But four doctors are better than two, right? Four brains with different experiences. With more staff and capacity, clinicians can learn from each other and innovate. In the long run, that is like a snowball effect. But someone has to ignite it, which is what Shirley and I tried to do with this gift. And Dr. Chang is the perfect person to keep that momentum going.”

Chang also serves as vice chief of the division of digestive diseases, director of the GI Fellowship Program and the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center’s Clinical Studies and Database Core, and co-director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience at UCLA. The Oppenheimer Center was among the first of its kind to home in on the demonstrated link between the brain and the gut.

A prolific scientist, seasoned mentor and staunch advocate for whole-person care, Chang has authored more than 300 published works and trained more than 80 early-career professionals. Her research focuses on the brain-gut connection, exploring the functions of sex, stress, epigenetics, clinical symptoms, health outcomes and treatment in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Clinically, she specializes in disorders of gut-brain interactions such as IBS, chronic constipation and functional dyspepsia.

A true Bruin

Chang earned her undergraduate degree, attended medical school, served her residency and completed her gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA. She has received numerous accolades, including the Southern California Gastroenterology Society Lifetime Achievement Award and the American Gastroenterological Association Distinguished Clinician and Distinguished Educator Awards. The UCLA Academic Senate voted unanimously to appoint her to the Wang Chair.

“There is no physician-scientist better suited to hold the Wang Chair and lead the Wang Center for Integrative Digestive Health,” said Dr. Eric Esrailian, chief of the division of digestive diseases and holder of the Lincy Foundation Chair in Clinical Gastroenterology. “Dr. Chang is at the top of our field, and her impact on patients and colleagues around the world is immeasurable. She has devoted her career to studying digestive diseases and improving quality of life for people with brain-gut disorders. Much like Shirley and Walter, she is motivated by the firm belief that everyone deserves access to world-class holistic care. I am grateful to my friends Shirley and Walter for recognizing her talent and for helping us create this unique center.”

Further uniting the Wangs and Chang are their deep ties to UCLA. Decades after working for the student newspaper and graduating from the university with a degree in communication studies in 1990, Shirley became the first Asian American woman to chair the UCLA Foundation board of directors and played a pivotal role in the university’s Centennial Campaign and Second Century Council alongside Esrailian. In addition to the council, she currently serves on the UCLA Health System board.

The Wangs’ generosity has extended to other areas of campus as well, including Asian American and Chinese studies, chemistry and biochemistry, engineering, financial aid and scholarships, and neuroscience and human behavior.

“With the tremendous support of the Wang family and Dr. Chang’s commitment to excellence, there is nothing our integrative digestive health team can’t accomplish,” said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences. “This visionary partnership will shape the field of GI care for generations to come.”