Dr. Eric Esrailian is the Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA where he is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with a major in integrative biology and a minor in English. He subsequently graduated from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Southern California.
He was named intern, junior resident, and senior resident of the year during all three years of his residency training. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at UCLA where he also obtained a masters of public health degree with the assistance of an NIH sponsored training grant. He is also a graduate of the Executive Program in Management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Dr. Esrailian served on the Medical Board of California from 2010-2011 after being appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition to disease areas within gastroenterology and internal medicine, Dr. Esrailian has a particular interest in the development of biomedical innovations, value in health care, medical education, initiatives towards patient-centered care, and connections between health and human rights.
In 2012, DGSOM awarded him the Lincy Foundation Chair in Clinical Gastroenterology. He is closely involved in growth strategy and strategic planning efforts for the UCLA Health System and DGSOM. He also works to facilitate community engagement with a number of other schools and departments within the UCLA campus and its Los Angeles community partners, and he was on the Executive Committee for the Centennial Campaign. He is now one of the co-chairs for the university’s Second Century Council. In 2020, he launched the UCLA Leaders of Tomorrow series to emphasize essential leadership skills through some of the most influential and successful leaders in our community. Dr. Esrailian was named the 43rd Annual Lester Breslow Distinguished Scholar and Lecturer by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
He is also an Emmy-nominated film producer, investor, and entrepreneur. Most notably, he produced “The Promise” by Terry George, starring Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale. He also produced the educational companion documentary “Intent to Destroy” with Joe Berlinger, which was nominated for an Outstanding Historical Documentary Emmy. These films, and the accompanying social impact campaigns, drew unprecedented attention to the Armenian Genocide, contributed to U.S. government recognition of the historical facts, and led to the creation of The Promise Institute for Human Rights and The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA.
He is actively involved in the leadership of several philanthropic organizations within UCLA and outside of the university. In 2017, the university designated Dr.Esrailian as a UCLA Optimist — among its notable alumni and faculty dedicated to solving the world’s problems. In 2021, he was also honored by Pope Francis at the Vatican with the Benemerenti Medal for his humanitarian activities around the world.