Vatche G. Agopian, MD
- Liver Transplant Surgery
About
Dr. Vatche Agopian is Professor of Surgery and Pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and the Dumont-UCLA Endowed Chair of Transplantation Surgery. His clinical expertise is focused on liver transplantation and the surgical management of both benign and malignant conditions of the liver and bile ducts (hepatobiliary surgery). He serves as the Director of the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center, which includes a multidisciplinary team of hepatologists, medical oncologists, interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, and interventional gastroenterologists in delivering evidence-based, state-of-the-art care to patients with primary and secondary liver malignancies. In this capacity, he has established the hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) and robotic liver surgery programs at UCLA. Dr. Agopian is the Principal Investigator of a National Institutes of Health funded translational laboratory focused on the development of blood-based biomarkers (“liquid biopsy”) for the early detection and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common primary liver malignancy. He also serves as the co-director of the UCLA Comprehensive Liver Research Center.
Languages
Education
Medical Board Certification
Fellowship
Residency
Internship
Degree
Recognitions
- Super doctors, Southern California, 2026
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2026
- Armenian American Medical Society President's Leadership Award, 2026
- American Society of Transplantation Clinical Science Investigator Award, 2021
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Related Clinical Trials
Locations
Medical Services
Areas of Focus
Videos
Research
Interests
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Cholangiocarcinoma
- Prognostic and predicitve biomarkers
- Liquid Biopsy
Publications
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
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Recognitions
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2026
- Armenian American Medical Society President's Leadership Award, 2026
- American Society of Transplantation Clinical Science Investigator Award, 2021
- American Society of Transplant Surgeons Rising Stars in Transplantation Award, 2018
- Golden Scalpel Award (Teaching Excellence - Assistant Professor), UCLA, 2017
- Pacific Coast Surgical Association New Member Prize, 2017
- American Surgical Association Foundation Fellowship Research Award, 2015
- Golden Scalpel Award (Teaching Excellence, Assistant Professor), UCLA, 2015
- Golden Scalpel Award (Outstanding Chief Resident), UCLA, 2010
- Golden Apple Teaching Award (Outstanding Medical Student Teaching), UCLA, 2010
- Wiley F. Barker Award (Outstanding Resident in Vascular Surgery), UCLA 2009
- Outstanding Student Teaching Award, UCLA, 2007
- Outstanding Student Teaching Award, UCLA, 2006
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Columbia University, 2003
- Alfred M. Markowitz Endowment for Scholars, Columbia Univeristy, 2003
- Robert F. Loeb Award, Columbia University, 2003
- Arnold P. Gold Foundation Outstanding Humanism and Compassion, Columbia University, 2003
- Abbie Knowlton Prize, Columbia University, 2002