Biography

Dr. Pearl Ma is a born and raised Iowa native who moved to California and completed her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, Davis. Through her undergraduate studies at UC Davis, she found her passion in helping underserved and marginalized patients. She did her general surgery residency and fellowship training in Advanced GI (Minimally Invasive) and Bariatric Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno Program.

She has a passion for teaching and a research interest, with publications in revisional bariatric surgery and multiple book chapters. She is a fellow of ASMBS (FASMBS) and FACS, has a Focus practice designation in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and is Obesity Medicine certified.

Her goal is to serve the Central Valley of California and continue educating the local physicians and surgeons in cutting-edge surgical techniques and compassionate patient care. Dr. Ma teaches UCSF residents as Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery and fellows at ALSA MIS bariatric fellowship. She is serving as co-chair for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for ASMBS, sub-committee chair of the ASMBS Surgical Mentoring Program, and on the ASMBS Program Committee, Bariatric Surgical Training Committee, State and Local Chapters Committee, and the SAGES Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Committee. Dr. Ma does peer reviews of manuscripts for major bariatric research journals. Dr. Ma is the current President of the California/Nevada ASMBS Chapter.

Dr. Ma has been a teaching and patient care leader, often speaking at national society meetings and seminars. She is passionate about treating obesity as a chronic disease and abolishing stigmas associated with obesity. She has been honored with multiple UCSF Fresno Resident Excellence in Teaching Award, Leon S Peters Foundation Resident of the Year Award, ASMBS Distinguished Service Award, and Treatment of Obesity and Research (TREO) Foundation 2023 Rising Star Award for demonstrating an outstanding job in patient care, research project success and community advocacy. She loves everything Disney and spends her free time with her husband and two mischievous young children.