Denise Chang, MD

Dr. Chang is an Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care and the Program Director for the UCSF Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship. In this leadership role, she oversees the program's administration, curriculum, and continuous improvement, focusing on program evaluation, fellow professional development and wellbeing, fellow recruitment, and faculty engagement. As a Bridges Coach, she teaches medical students patient-centered communication skills for health interviews, hypothesis-drive physical exam skills, and guides them through career exploration with her mentorship. Dr. Chang is also the pediatric anesthesia division quality improvement champion and co-chairs the Benioff Children’s Hospital Pediatric Perioperative Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Committee. Her influential work has earned her numerous accolades, including the George A. Gregory Teaching Award (2020), the Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Excellence in Teaching Award (2022), and the Maxine Papadakis Award for Faculty Professionalism and Respect (2023). Dr. Chang completed the year-long Teaching Scholars Program in 2025, where her scholarly project focused on improving the quality and quantity of formative feedback in the perioperative setting, demonstrating her commitment to enhancing the learning experience.