Alka M. Kanaya

Dr. Alka Kanaya is a specialist in internal medicine who provides primary care.

Kanaya's research focuses on the causes and prevention of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and she has developed a three-pronged research program to investigate them. The first arm uses existing studies to test new biomarkers (measurable substances in the body) that predict diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while the second arm studies these risk factors in South Asian patients, who have a higher disease prevalence compared with other ethnic groups. The final arm studies behavioral interventions – such as restorative yoga classes – to determine whether they prevent the onset of diabetes in high-risk groups.

Kanaya earned her medical degree from UCSF, where she completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in epidemiology and internal medicine.