Jason B. Samarasena, MD, MBA, named Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Source: UCI School of Medicine
Jason B. Samarasena, MD, MBA, has been named chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the Department of Medicine at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
An interventional gastroenterologist at UCI Health, Samarasena has pioneered numerous endoscopic approaches to treating digestive diseases, including incisionless surgery for esophageal cancer. The Orange County Medical Association has named him a Physician of Excellence for six consecutive years from 2020 to 2025. He is also the current president of the Orange County Gastroenterology Society.
His research interests include advanced endoscopic imaging, characterization and treatment of pancreatic cysts, confocal laser endomicroscopy, bowel preparation before colonoscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection, and endoscopic submucosal dissection. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.
He specializes in treating digestive disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus, pancreatic cysts, biliary tract disorders, gastric intestinal metaplasia and colorectal cancer.
Samarasena received his medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, where he graduated on the Dean’s List. He also completed both general gastroenterology and interventional endoscopy fellowships at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, where he a professor of Medicine. He recently earned an executive master’s degree in Business Administration from the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business.
