Melvin B. Heyman MD, MPH

Dr. Mel Heyman is director of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at UCSF and the training director in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco. Heyman is particularly interested in the care of children with inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as nutrition-related problems. Through his research, Heyman was one of the first to reveal the importance of nutrition support in sickle cell anemia and has helped develop procedures to diagnose liver-related problems in infants. He also has studied new treatments for children with inflammatory bowel disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Heyman earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a medical degree at the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his pediatric residency training at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center. In addition, Heyman did postdoctoral training in nutrition, earning a Master of Public Health, and completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at UCLA. In 1981 Heyman joined UCSF, where he organized the clinical pediatric nutrition support service and served as division chief of pediatric gastroenterology for 26 years. Heyman has trained over 75 pediatric gastroenterologists, many of whom serve in leadership roles in the field throughout the U.S. and in other countries.

A professor of pediatrics holding the endowed chair in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, Heyman has served on many local and national committees including the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition and Executive Committee for the Section on Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, as well as the American Board of Pediatrics. Since 2011 he has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Heyman has been providing medical direction for a camp for children with inflammatory bowel disease since it first began in 2001 and was awarded the highly esteemed UCSF Chancellor's Award for Public Service in 2014.