About Bing Zhang, MD, MAS

Bing Zhang, MD, MAS, is a board-certified gastroenterologist who specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the intestinal microbiome. He is the Director of the IBD Program at LLUMC.

He believes that a strong physician-patient relationship is built on trust, knowledge and shared decision-making. His goal is to empower patients with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions so that, together, they can work towards the common goal of healing.

Dr. Zhang earned his medical degree and Master of Advanced Studies in clinical research from the University of California, San Diego. He completed his internal medicine residency at LAC+USC (now known as Los Angeles General Medical Center) and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he also trained as a postdoctoral fellow in microbiome research.

His research explores how disruptions in the microbiome may influence both gastrointestinal and brain health, reflecting his holistic approach to medicine. The gut-brain axis — how the brain and GI tract communicate — and the intestinal microbiome are both areas deeply connected to his clinical work in IBD. Notably, his team was the first to demonstrate the correlation between IBD and dementia. His work has been published in prominent journals including Gut, Cell Host & Microbe, and Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis, etc. His research has also received statewide and international media coverage from outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, US News, CNN, etc.

His practice philosophy:  "I am a strong believer in shared decision-making between the provider and the patient. My philosophy is to incorporate the most relevant and cutting-edge research into my medical practice to guide and empower patients to make the best-informed medical decisions. I strive to stay up to date with the latest clinical and basic science research so that I can discuss with my patients what is available now and what is ‘on the horizon."