• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Health

UCLA Health
  • About Us
    • What is UCLA Health?
    • Contact Us
    • Your Feedback
    • Accountable Care Organization
    • Awards & Achievements
    • Careers
    • Careers for Physicians
    • Departments - Administrative
    • Departments - Clinical
    • Giving to UCLA Health
    • Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
    • In the Community
    • Industry Relations
    • Innovation
    • Leadership
    • News Releases
    • Price Transparency
    • Social Media
    • #TeamLA
    • 340B Program
    Vital SignsLinked Graphic: Subscribe to Health Newsletters
    • Contact
    • Your Feedback
    • Accountable Care Organization
    • Awards and Achievements
    • Careers
    • Careers for Physicians
    • Departments - Administrative
    • Departments - Clinical
    • Giving to UCLA Health
    • Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Industry Relations
    • Innovation
    • In the Community
    • 340B Program
    • Leadership
    • News Releases
    • Price Transparency
    • Social Media
    • TeamLA
    • Subscribe to UCLA Health Newsletters
  • Conditions & Treatment
    • Health Library
    • Tests & Procedures
    • Drug Interaction Checker
    • Brain & Nervous System
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Nutrition & Wellness
    • Pregnancy & Newborns
    • Orthopedics
    • Women's Health
    • Video Library
    • Cancer
    • Cardiovascular
    • Chiropractic
    • Cosmetic Surgery
    • Ear, Nose and Throat
    • Gastrointestinal
    • General Healthcare
    • Neurological
    • Obstetrics/Gynecology
    • See all videos...
    Symptom Checker
    • Video Library
  • Locations

    Hospitals

    • Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
    • UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
    • UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital
    • Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital
    • Institutes and Centers
    • Take a Virtual Tour

    Medical Offices/Clinics

    • Primary Care
    • Specialty Care
    • Immediate Care
    • Emergency Care
    • Outpatient Surgery Centers
    • Community Cancer Care
    • Pediatric Locations
    • Imaging/Radiology
    • Clinical Labs
    • Pharmacies

    Interactive Map

    interactive map

    • Interactive Map
    • UCLA Medical Plazas
    • Locations Coming Soon
    • UCLA Hospitals
    • Take a Virtual Tour
    • Primary Care Practices
    • Specialty Care Practices
    • Immediate Care
    • Emergency Care
    • Pediatric Locations
    • Outpatient Surgery Centers
    • Clinical Labs
    • Pharmacies
    • Other Locations
    • Interactive Map
    • Coming Soon!
  • Medical Services
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Directions & Parking
    • Appointments
    • Video Visits
    • Medical Chaperones
    • Admissions
    • Preparing For Surgery
    • Patient Services
    • Security & Parking Services
    • Office of the Patient Experience
    • For International Patients
    • Lodging & Nearby Services
    • Around Westwood
    • Gift Shops & Flowers
    • Patient Greeting Cards
    • Coronavirus Resources
    • Log in to myUCLAhealth
    • Billing and Insurance
    • Medical Records
    • Price Transparency
    • Health Encyclopedia
    • Interactive Patient Education Videos (Emmi)
    • FAQs
    • Calendar of Events
    • Secure Email Messages
    • Health Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Download our Apps
    • Doctor on video visit
    • Open Enrollment
    • Visit our Connect Blog
    • Send a Care Compliment
    • Read Health Publications
    • Vital Signs Newsletters
    • Join a Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Share your Feedback
    • Contact Us
    • Appointments: Call, Click, Come in
    • Video Visits - Telemedicine
    • Medical Chaperones
    • Admissions Information
    • Advance Directive
    • Directions & Parking
    • Patient Services
    • Medical Records
    • myUCLAhealth
    • Smoke-Free
    • Publications
    • Multimedia
    • Health Resources
    • Around Westwood
    • Lodging
    • Preparing For Surgery
    • Patient-focused Technology Council
    • Health Forms
    • End of Life Option Act: Resources & Materials
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Secure Email Messages
    • Gift Shops
    • Patient Greeting Cards
  • For Healthcare Professionals
    • Referring a Patient
    • Continuing Medical Education
    • Ethics Center
    • UCLA HealthLink
    • Physician to Physician Access Line (P2P)
    • David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
    • Clinical Informatics Fellowship
    • Academic Positions
    • Physician Careers
    • UCLA School of Dentistry
    • UCLA School of Nursing
    • Department of Nursing

    Physician Publications

    • Physicians Update
    • Clinical Updates
    • U Magazine
    • Physician to Physician Access Line (P2P)
    • Physician Careers
    • Clinical Informatics Fellowship
    • Flu Resources for Healthcare Professionals
    • Publications
  • Clinical Research
    • All Clinical Trials
    • COVID-19 Clinical Research
  • Find a Provider
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

Find a Provider

  1. Home
  2. Find a Provider

Find a Provider

Ronald-Busuttil Photo

Is Best
Voted Best Doctors
Specialty:
Surgery, Transplant
Department Affiliation:
Surgery
Hospital Affiliation:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
State License:
G22460
Phone:
310-825-5318
Health Plans:
Accepted Plans
  • About Me
  • Locations
  • Education
  • Clinical Interests
  • Research
  • News & Awards
  • Videos
About Me

Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil is Chair of the Department of Surgery at UCLA.

Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil is currently Distinguished Professor and Executive Chairman of the UCLA Department of Surgery and holds the William P. Longmire, Jr. Chair in Surgery. Additionally, he serves as founding Chief of the Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation and Director of the Pfleger Liver Institute, which includes the Dumont-UCLA Transplant Center and the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center.

After graduating magna cum laude from Loyola University in New Orleans, Dr. Busuttil earned both his MD and PhD degrees at Tulane University. He served his surgical residency at UCLA under Dr. William P. Longmire, Jr. and was trained in transplantation by Dr. Thomas Starzl at the University of Pittsburgh. He has been a member of the UCLA surgical faculty since 1978.

In 1984, he founded the Liver Transplant Program and has been the Director and Chief Surgeon for 28 years. It has since grown to become one of the largest liver transplant centers in the world. Clinical activities encompass the entire spectrum of liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery for adults and children. Dr. Busuttil and his team have performed over 5200 liver transplants, and he is internationally recognized for his expertise in transplantation and liver surgery.

Dr. Busuttil has demonstrated a life-long commitment to teaching and advancing the field of transplantation and surgery. His training program in transplant surgery is among the foremost in the world. He has trained over 300 transplant surgeons from the US and abroad; many lead liver transplant programs in the US, Asia and Europe. His laboratory has trained a large number of research fellows, including surgical residents and trainees in basic science disciplines.

His basic science research has focused on ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury of the liver. In 1975 he published the first report of the benefits of steroids on cardiac recovery after IR injury and subsequently reported several follow-up studies in other organs. He has been NIH funded since 1981.

His contributions have been recognized through many awards and honors, including the American Surgical Association Medallion for Scientific Achievement, American Society of Transplant Surgeons Francis Moore Excellence in Mentorship in Transplantation Surgery Award, Man of the Year Award from the United Liver Association, the Integritas Award from Loyola University, the Most Distinguished Alumni Award from Tulane University, Man of the Year Award from the American Liver Foundation, the UCLA School of Medicine 50th Anniversary Professional Achievement Award, the Thomas E. Starzl Prize in Surgery and Immunology, the Transplantation Society Award for Education and Training in Transplantation, and the International Liver Transplantation Society Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Busuttil serves on the editorial boards or as a reviewer for many prestigious journals and is the co-editor of the definitive textbook, Transplantation of the Liver, now in its second edition. He has authored more than 600 peer reviewed scientific manuscripts, 55 book chapters, and 400 abstracts. He is an active member of all major national and international surgical and transplantation societies and has routinely held key committee positions. He is a Past President of the International Liver Transplantation Society, a Past President of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, Past First Vice President of the American Surgical Association, a past member of the council of The Transplantation Society, and has served on the Board of Directors of United Network for Organ Sharing.

Hospital Staff Appointments

  • 2008-present Co-Director Asian Liver Program, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 2004-present Surgeon-in-Chief, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 2003-present Director, The Pfleger Liver Institute, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 2000-present Director, The Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 1995-2000 Chief, UCLA-Cedars Sinai Medical Center Joint Liver Transplant Program, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 1992-present Director, The Dumont-UCLA Transplant Center, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, Ca
  • 1978-1987 Attending Staff Surgeon, Sepulveda Veterans Administration Hospital, Sepulveda, Ca
  • 1978-1984 Trauma Coordinator, Emergency Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles

Academic/Teaching Appointments

  • Distinguished Professor and Executive Chairman, The William P. Longmire, Jr. Chair in Surgery, Department of Surgery University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
  • Chief, Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation, University of California Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Memberships in Scholarly or Professional Societies

  • American College of Surgeons - Fellow
  • American Surgical Association
  • Society of University Surgeons
  • Pacific Coast Surgical Association
  • Association for Academic Surgery
  • The Transplantation Society
  • California Medical Association
  • Los Angeles County Medical Association
  • Los Angeles Surgical Society
  • International Society of Surgery, United States Chapter
  • American Society of Transplant Surgeons
  • International Society of Surgery
  • Southern Surgical Association
  • International Liver Transplantation Society
  • The Longmire Surgical Society
  • Society of Surgical Chairs
  • European Surgical Association
  • French National Academy of Surgery
  • Alpha Sigma Nu - Academic Honorary Society
  • Alpha Omega Alpha - National Honorary Medical Society
  • Beta Beta Beta - National Biological Honorary Society
  • Delta Epsilon Sigma - National Society for Arts & Science
  • James IV Surgical Traveler
  • Rotary Club - Beverly Hills Chapter

National Elected Office Organizations

  • 2008-2011 Councilor, James IV Association of Surgeons
  • 2008-2009 President, International Liver Transplantation Society
  • 2007-2008 President-Elect, International Liver Transplantation Society
  • 2006-2007 First Vice President, American Surgical Association
  • 2004-2007 Councilor, The International Liver Transplantation Society
  • 2003-2005 President, The Longmire Surgical Society
  • 2001-2005 Councilor, The Transplantation Society
  • 2002-2004 UNOS National Board of Directors, Medical Scientific Representative
  • 2002-2003 Vice President, The Longmire Surgical Society
  • 1999-2000 President, American Society of Transplant Surgeons

Patient Stories

A second chance to live
Thank you Dr. Busuttil for saving my life and thousands of others for over the past 33 years!
23 years at UCLA
Links
surgery.ucla.edu
transplants.ucla.edu
asianliverprogram.ucla.edu
colorectalcancer.ucla.edu
Medical Board Certifications
Surgery, American Board of Surgery, 1978
Residency
Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, 1972-1977
Internship
Surgery, UCLA School of Medicine, 1971-1972
Degree
Tulane University School of Medicine, MD, 1971
Interests
  • Hepatobiliary

    Disorders of the Biliary System

    Detailed information on the most common disorders of the biliary system, including gallstones, cholangitis, cholecystitis, biliary cirrhosis, and biliary duct cancer.
    Learn more >
  • Liver Transplantation

    Liver Transplant

    A liver transplant is surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person. A whole liver may be transplanted, or just part of one.
    Learn more >
  • Pediatrics
Research Interests
  • Ischemia reperfusion injury
  • Immunosuppression
  • Tolerance
  • Hepatic Tumors
Publications
Link to my PubMed publications >
In The News
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center performs 6,000th liver transplant
Awards
  • 2013 American Society of Transplant Surgeons Pioneer Award
  • 2013 Sherman M. Mellinkoff Faculty Award, whose teaching exemplifies his dedication to the art of medicine and to the finest in doctor-patient relationships
  • 2011 International Liver Transplantation Society Distinguished Service Award
  • 2011 Thomas E. Starzl Prize in Surgery and Immunology
  • 2010 The Transplantation Society Award for Education and Training in Transplantation
  • 2010 American Society of Transplant Surgeons Francis Moore Excellence in Mentorship
    in Transplantation Surgery Award
  • 2007 American Surgical Association Medallion for Scientific Achievement
  • 2002 Tulane University Alumni of the Year Award
  • 2002 The UCLA School of Medicine 50th Anniversary Professional Achievement Award
  • 2002 The American Liver Foundation Outstanding Professional Achievement Award
  • 1997 Loyola University Integritas Vitae Award New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1996 "Man of the Year" United Liver Association, Los Angeles, California
Webinar URL

Patient Stories

Liver Transplant: The precious gift of life
No Greater Love

Other Videos

UCLA Celebrates 5000th Liver Transplant

Medical Education

Liver Transplantation 2013
Ronald W. Busuttil, MD, PhD click here to update your profile
Back to search
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedInWeibo
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap

Sign in to myUCLAhealth

Learn more about myUCLAhealth