Dr. Kalia (or Dr. Alok, as he is known outside of his University life) has been a professor at the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston for over thirty years. For most of this time, Dr. Kalia’s clinical and research interests centered on kidney function, nutrition, and metabolism. In addition to his many research publications, he edited two medical books and contributed chapters to seventeen other books. Dr. Kalia has been a frequent invited presenter at medical meetings in the USA and abroad. He has served on national and state committees for establishing practice guidelines and monitoring the quality of care for individuals receiving dialysis and kidney transplants. His clinical contributions have resulted in his selection by his peers as one of the “Best Doctors in America.”
Over the past decade, Dr. Kalia has become increasingly interested in the changing food environment and its effect on weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. His presentations highlight the interactions between food and physiology. He uses his skills as a medical teacher to take the listeners on a journey through the body, with stops at a number of interesting places. His interest in food, health and weight management was the foundation of his latest book, “Don’t Take Dieting Advice From a Skinny Person.”
Dr. Kalia obtained his medical degree from Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. He received his specialized postgraduate training from the Institute for Postgraduate Medical Research Institute in India, Rutgers Medical School in New Jersey, and the University of Texas Medical School in Galveston.
In his private life, Dr. Kalia enjoys boating and ballroom dancing.