Atul Malhotra, MD, Receives Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award

At UC San Diego Health, Malhotra provides a full spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with sleep-related disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and sleep disorders associated with medical or psychiatric conditions. He also provides care for patients in the intensive care units at Hillcrest Medical Center and Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, with major expertise in the areas of lung injury, sepsis and mechanical ventilation.

“I am incredibly honored for this recognition by the American Thoracic Society and my esteemed peers,” said Malhotra, research chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “My work spans outpatient settings and intensive care units, while also managing a National Institutes of Health funded laboratory. It’s extremely rewarding to conduct studies that are identifying novel treatment options and then be able to provide those therapeutics to my patients and see them live more quality lives.”

Specifically, Malhotra has a special interest in the treatment of sleep apnea. His recent research successfully identified the first drug therapy option for sleep apnea, which showed promising results of enhanced sleep and overall health for patients diagnosed with obesity and living with obstructive sleep apnea.

“Dr. Malhotra’s research has deepened our knowledge of fundamental disease mechanisms, which has translated into new therapies that are improving patient outcomes,” said Zea Borok, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “His contributions to sleep apnea research are particularly notable in that he has advanced our understanding of the disease by identifying various mechanisms underlying the clinical manifestations. This has moved the field beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, leading to more personalized and effective treatments.”

Malhotra also supports future physicians and scientists by serving as a mentor for numerous resident physicians and junior researchers both locally and internationally.

“Through mentorship, my focus has been to attract and retain the best and brightest in the field, with a goal of developing a diverse next generation of leaders,” said Malhotra. “It’s been a joy to hear the success stories from around the world of our trainees that have benefitted from our programs.”

Before joining UC San Diego Health in 2013, Malhotra practiced pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was associate professor at Harvard Medical School and medical director of the Brigham and Women's Hospital Sleep Disorders Research Program.

Malhotra has served on numerous national and international councils in executive leadership roles, including for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and as president of the American Thoracic Society. He is a principal and co-investigator on numerous NIH grants relating to sleep apnea and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for many leading journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Sleep and the Journal of American Medical Association.

“I truly believe that this work and research is making a difference in the lives of patients around the world, which is extremely fulfilling for me and one of my greatest achievements,” said Malhotra.

For 2024-2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC San Diego Health No. 1 in San Diego and among the nation’s best in 11 adult medical and surgical specialties, including 10th in the country for pulmonology care.

Learn more about lung disease and respiratory care at UC San Diego Health.