Lynne and Marc Benioff Professor of Gastroenterology, Director of the Colitis and Crohn's Disease Center, and Director of the Advanced IBD Fellowship at UCSF, Department of Medicine

What her nominator had to say about her: 

"Dr. Uma Mahadevan is the director of UCSF Center for Colitis and Crohn's Disease. She is a leading expert in Colitis and Crohn's Disease. She organizes and speaks at GUILD (Gastroenterology Updates, IBD, and Liver Diseases) Conference each year. She also does research about IBD. Last year, she also won the Sherman Prize recognizing her for her extraordinary track records of achievement, making exceptional and pioneering contributions that transform IBD care. As a leading expert in IBD, she takes very good care of all her patients. Outside of work, she is also a mother and wife. She is living proof that you can achieve all your goals with persistence and hard work. I am inspired by her achievements!" 

Nomination by Ashley Viray

Dr. Mahadevan’s Bio:

Dr. Uma Mahadevan is the Lynne and Marc Benioff Professor of Gastroenterology, Director of the Colitis and Crohn's Disease Center and Director of the Advanced IBD Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. She specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly pregnancy and drug safety. She completed a medical degree at the State University of New York in Brooklyn, residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, Fellowship in gastroenterology at UCSF, and advanced fellowship in IBD at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. For her exceptional work in pregnancy and drug safety and her mentoring of GI fellows and junior faculty she received the AGA 2022 Immunology, Microbiology & Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IMIBD) Section Research Mentor Award and the 2022 Sherman Prize.

What advice would you give yourself early on in your career? To a woman entering your field today? 

When I was a young faculty member, there was little mentoring or support within our department. However, now there are so many ways to improve yourself and I would recommend taking advantage of all of them – get feedback on career goals, writing grants, giving lectures – it’s all available in some form.  You just need to seek it out and ask your division chief or department chair where to access them. I would also say that women are not as good at networking as men are, likely due to additional responsibilities at home.  Networking is so important to career advancement, so remember to say “yes” to some of those opportunities when they present themselves. Finally, figure out what you want and focus.  Trying to do too many things can lead to nothing being done well.  Understanding what you really want to do and where you want to be in 5, 10, 15 years is critical to where you should focus your energy now.

Can you tell us about a significant role model or mentor in your life? 

William Sandborn from Mayo Clinic and then UCSD is my mentor.  He taught me to focus, be methodical, think big and be generous with your own mentees when the time comes.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I like to spend time with my husband and young child and I am a huge 49er and Warrior fan.

What is on your reading list?  

Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

If you could go anywhere for a day, where would you go?  

Rome, always Rome

Meet other outstanding women of UCSF through Our Spotlight.