Esteban G. Burchard

Esteban G. Burchard, MD, MPH, is a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, affiliated with the Center for Genes, Environment and Health. His research focuses on genetics, genomics, and precision medicine in asthma, health disparities, and pulmonary biology, particularly in admixed and minority populations.

• Education: MD (Stanford), MPH (UC Berkeley), Fellowship in Genetic Epidemiology (Stanford), Residency in Internal Medicine (UCSF), and B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology (San Francisco State University).
• Scientific Awards: Association of American Physicians (2022), Faculty Research Lecture (UCSF Academic Senate, 2021), Lifetime Achievement Awards (NMA, American Thoracic Society), Alumni Hall of Fame (San Francisco State University, 2018), and ASCI Induction (2009).

His work bridges genetic ancestry, environmental interactions, and drug response in asthma, with leadership in the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Consortium and contributions to race adjustment critiques in clinical algorithms. Recent publications emphasize multi-omics approaches, gene-environment interactions, and epigenetic mechanisms in minority youth with asthma.

Key research themes include:

• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for asthma exacerbations and drug responses in Latino/African American populations
• Epigenetic and transcriptomic profiling of airway epithelium
• Admixture mapping for ancestry-specific risk loci
• Environmental determinants of telomere length and methylation
• Health equity in genomic medicine

His 15 most recent articles (2020-2025) span disciplines in genetics, epigenetics, and pulmonary health, with subfields addressing asthma pathobiology, population genetics, and precision diagnostics. Scientific awards highlight his contributions to clinical research, teaching, and diversity in science.