Larry Chan, MD

Humanitarian Award 2024

Dr. Larry Chan has dedicated over 40 years to the University of Colorado School of Medicine as faculty and currently serves as a Professor of Medicine, the Director of Transplant Nephrology Research and Development in the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, and an active member of the CU Medical Alumni Association board.

Dr. Chan grew up in Hong Kong and developed a passion for serving others thanks to the influence of his mentor, Father Howard Trube of New York Maryknoll Mission, who developed schools and charity centers as a missionary. After the untimely death of Dr. Chan’s father due to medical misadventure, Father Trube became his guardian. He soon began volunteering at Father Trube’s charity clinics where he learned the importance of both seeking help and helping others.

During his studies at Oxford, Dr. Chan worked in the kidney center and participated in fundraising efforts to purchase a dialysis machine. The experience he gained in community outreach and patient care and education served him well when he moved to Colorado in the 1980s and faced a lack of funding for kidney research and treatment development at CU. Through reaching out to community doctors and developing new protocols, the program grew and now performs around 100 liver transplants and 300 kidney transplants each year.

Dr. Chan’s concern for growing rates of kidney disease led him to focus on prevention as well as public awareness about organ transplantation. He co-founded the American Transplant Foundation, which provides resources for those awaiting transplants and promotes organ donation legislation to ensure equity and protection for those involved in the process.

In addition to his medical work, Dr. Chan is involved with the Nathan Yip Foundation, which offers financial assistance for schools and teachers in rural Colorado so they can provide equitable and innovative opportunities for their students. He also supports Opera Colorado as a board member and appreciates their goal of performing in rural schools and introducing children to the art form.

Dr. Chan believes in bridging the gap between art and science in medicine and ultimately prioritizing humanity, which is a message he hopes to share with students and residents embarking on a career in medicine. He is also grateful for the journey he has been on and for the university and all his colleagues who were able to accomplish so much together.