Alan H. Baik, MD

Dr. Alan H. Baik is a non-invasive cardiologist with a special interest in cardio-oncology. Cardio-oncology is an emerging field in cardiology that focuses on the cardiovascular care of cancer patients and survivors who have developed cardiovascular disease from their cancer-directed therapies. He provides specialized cardiovascular care to cancer patients who have received traditional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and radiation therapy. Baik works closely with oncologists and other providers to optimize the cardiovascular care of these patients.

In research, Baik has a long-standing interest in how cells, tissues and humans respond and adapt to low oxygen (hypoxia) and high oxygen states (hyperoxia). As a medical student, he worked in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Dr. William Kaelin's at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he studied the mechanisms of remote ischemic preconditioning. This is the phenomenon where the heart is protected from a heart attack when a distant organ — for example, the skeletal muscle — experiences short episodes of low oxygen. He is currently studying novel ways cells and tissues respond to states of low oxygen and why high oxygen is toxic to cells, tissues and whole organisms.

Baik earned his medical degree at UCSF, where he was a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellow and graduated with distinction after completing a graduate-level thesis in molecular medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiology at UCSF. He has served on the subcommittee for cardio-oncology with the American Heart Association.