Dr. Atilla Ertan, FACP, AGAF, FASGE, MACG earned his MD from the AUMS, Ankara in 1963. Following completion of his fellowship in Gastroenterology (GI) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1971, he was professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans from 1980-90 where he was named Chief of the GI Section from 1984-90 and Interim Chairman of Medicine Department from 1988-90. Then, he was Chief of the GI Section at TMH/Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) from 1990 to 2001. He was Professor of Medicine at both BCM as well as Weill-Cornell Medical College. He is now professor at the UTH McGovern Medical School (UTMMS) and Director of the Ertan Digestive Disease Center of Excellence (EDDC) at the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (MH-TMC) since 2011. He has organized the Ertan Educational and Research Foundation with major contributions from the community since 2013. The A. Ertan Chair is established by the UTMMS and the Chao Fund Endowed Directorship is established at the MH-TMC EDDC in 2015. He was named to be Interim Chief of the GI, Hepatology & Nutrition Division at the UTMMS from 2016 to 2018. He is organizing to establish the Houston Digestive Health Institute. Dr. Ertan has achieved national and international recognition as an outstanding clinical scientist, excellent educator, prolific researcher, and skillful administrator in the field of gastroenterology by the national GI Societies. He has published over 190 articles in peer review journals, book chapters, books, and has received numerous awards and honors, such as the Medicine Science Award by the TUBITAK in 1992, the Best Gastroenterologist Award by the CCFA Houston Chapter in 2002, the Distinguished Clinician Award by the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) in 2003, the Master in Gastroenterology Award by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) in 2003 and the Fellow by AGA in 2007. He has been named to the Top Doctor's in Houston and in United States. Since 1995 & Leading Physician of the World by the International Association of Healthcare Professionals of America in 2012. He is also selected among the 160 gastroenterology leaders in the United States by the Becker’s ASC Review since 2014. He has received “Lifetime Achievement Award in Research, Education and Patient Care” by his Division and “Lifetime Success Award” by the Turkish Gastroenterology Society in 2020. Dr. Ertan has been active in various national and international GI societies. He has served on the AGA's Education Committee (1994-97), the International Liaison Committee (1999-03), the ACG's International Relations Committee (Chair, International GI Training Subcommittee, 1994-98) and the Educational Affairs Committee (Chair 1999-01). He currently serves on the Editorial Boards of five different medical journals. He has trained more than 100’s of GI fellows and junior faculty worldwide, many are leadership positions in their Divisions and/or relevant societies.  Dr. Ertan has a special interest and experience in the diagnosis and management of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease, chronic ulcerative colitis, various microscopic colitides; biliary/pancreatic benign and malignant disorders, Barrett esophagus with dysplasia and early cancer plus these patients’ need for various advanced GI endoscopic therapeutic procedures. His clinical research focused on new management options in patients with refractory IBD and Barrett dysplasia & early cancer.