The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric Lam as Head and Dr. Ian Gan as Associate Head, UBC Division of Gastroenterology, for a five-year term effective July 1, 2025.
Eric Lam – Head, UBC Division of Gastroenterology
Dr. Eric Lam is a Clinical Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia, whose career reflects a deep commitment to education, mentorship, and academic excellence. He trained in Internal Medicine at UBC, followed by clinical fellowships in Hepatology/Liver Transplantation at the University of Alberta and Endoscopic Ultrasound at the Université de Montréal before joining the Department of Medicine. Over the years, Dr. Lam has played a central role in shaping gastroenterology education at UBC. As Program Director of the Adult Gastroenterology Residency Program from 2016 to 2024, he was instrumental in supporting residents through their formative years, guiding them in clinical skills and professional growth. His mentorship, marked by encouragement, insight, and high expectations, has helped launch the careers of many practicing specialists across Canada.
Nationally, Dr. Lam is a highly active contributor to gastroenterology education and professional development. He has served as faculty for the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s Colonoscopy Skills Improvement and Train the Endoscopy Trainer programs, helping enhance endoscopy teaching standards nationwide. In addition, he sits on the Skill Enhancement in Endoscopy Committee (2023–2029) and has served as a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Gastroenterology Subspecialty Committee (2016–2024), playing a key role in shaping national training guidelines and certification standards. Complementing his educational leadership, Dr. Lam has published widely on topics ranging from innovative procedures in therapeutic endoscopy to clinical best practices, often through collaborative, multi-center efforts. His work reflects a strong emphasis on practical improvements to patient care.
Ian Gan – Associate Head, UBC Division of Gastroenterology
Dr. Ian Gan is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of British Columbia and the current Associate Head, Division of Gastroenterology at Vancouver General Hospital. He received his M.D. from the University of British Columbia (1998). Following Internal Medicine training at the University of British Columbia, he completed his Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Calgary, and advanced endoscopy training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham Women’s Hospital, Harvard University, in Boston.
After training, Dr. Gan worked as an assistant professor at Tufts University, heading their endoscopic ultrasound program and the GI fellowship program. Thereafter, he moved back to the West Coast to work at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, where he was director of education for the Digestive Disease Institute and program director for the therapeutic endoscopy program. After almost ten years at VMMC, he moved back home to Vancouver and briefly held the position of Director of Endoscopy before starting his role as Associate Head of the division of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Gan is the author of 75 publications in gastroenterology, mostly focusing on clinical research in pancreaticobiliary disease. He has held roles on the ASGE Standards of Practice Committee and was an ASGE ambassador. Throughout his career, Dr. Gan has been recognized for his excellence, receiving awards such as the Hugh Chaun Mentorship Award, Don Carr Teaching Award, and Seattle’s Best Doctors in Gastroenterology.
Please join me in congratulating Drs. Lam and Gan on their appointments and wishing them all the best in their new roles.
I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Robert Enns for his exceptional leadership and dedicated service as Division Head of the Division of Gastroenterology from March 2015 to the present.
Sincerely,
Anita Palepu, MD, MPH, FRCPC, MACP, FCAHS
Professor and Eric W. Hamber Chair
Head, Department of Medicine
University of British Columbia