Dr. Chao is a fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon who specializes in surgical treatments for adults with benign and malignant thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal disease. His adrenal work focuses on the surgical treatment of diseases such as Cushing’s syndrome, primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome), pheochromocytoma, and adrenal cancer.

Dr. Chao has had extensive training in minimally invasive endocrine surgery, including retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomies, a procedure where the adrenal glands are removed with fewer incisions, in the lower back only. This is often associated with less pain and faster recovery times.

After a decade working as an attorney, he wanted to have a more direct impact on people’s lives and began exploring the field of medicine through volunteer and advocacy work, and taking science classes at a local community college. When his love of and aptitude for medicine were confirmed, he pursued and completed his medical education at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he received his medical degree. This was followed by a general surgery residency at Rutgers Health Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a fellowship in endocrine surgery at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), one of the nation’s leaders in innovative, high-volume thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal surgery and research.

Dr. Chao also has a strong interest in social and legal determinants of health and institutional barriers to health care, and works with Albany Medical College, Albany Law School, and the Alden March Bioethics Institute to address these challenges.

He is a member of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, Society of Asian Academic Surgeons, Society of Surgical Oncology, and American College of Surgeons.