Dr. Michael Wilkinson, MD
Not yet claimedCardiologist, Preventive cardiologist, Lipidologist · Physician (MD)
La Jolla, CA
Dr. Michael Wilkinson is a heart doctor at UC San Diego who directs a clinic for complex cholesterol problems. He treats inherited cholesterol disorders and helps patients lower their risk of heart attack and stroke.
About Dr. Michael Wilkinson, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Michael J. Wilkinson is a cardiologist at UC San Diego Health who focuses on preventive cardiology and clinical lipidology, which is the care of people with cholesterol and other blood fat disorders. He directs the Advanced Lipid Disorders Treatment Program at UC San Diego Health and is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.
He earned his medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine, completed internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago (2011–2014), and completed a cardiovascular disease fellowship at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where he was chief fellow. Public sources list board certifications in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, and clinical lipidology.
He is active in the National Lipid Association, serving on its Board of Directors and as a leader of the Pacific Lipid Association chapter, and he is an associate editor of the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. He co-authored a 2024 focused update to the National Lipid Association scientific statement on the use of lipoprotein(a) in clinical practice.
Federal CMS Open Payments records for 2021–2025 show $135,051.74 across 183 records, most from Regeneron and Novartis. Payments from industry to physicians are common and legal, and are reported publicly.
- Leads UC San Diego lipid clinic
- He directs the Advanced Lipid Disorders Clinic and Treatment Program at UC San Diego Health. cardiology.ucsd.edu
- Four board certifications listed
- Public faculty bios list board certification in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine, echocardiography, and clinical lipidology. cardiometabolichealth.org
- Training background
- Medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine, internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago (2011–2014), and cardiovascular disease fellowship at UC San Diego, where he was chief fellow. doximity.com
- Guideline statement author
- He is a co-author of the 2024 focused update to the 2019 National Lipid Association scientific statement on the use of lipoprotein(a) in clinical practice, published in the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. lipid.org
- National Lipid Association leadership
- He serves on the National Lipid Association Board of Directors and has led its Pacific Lipid Association chapter, listed as Immediate Past President in the 2025–2026 chapter guidebook. lipid.org
- Journal editorial role
- He is an associate editor of the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. cardiology.ucsd.edu
- Associate Professor of Medicine
- He holds the academic title of Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. lipid.org
- Industry payments on record
- CMS Open Payments shows $135,051.74 across 183 records from 2021 to 2025, with the largest amounts from Regeneron Healthcare Solutions ($68,232) and Novartis Pharmaceuticals ($38,799). openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Worth knowing
- CMS Open Payments records list $135,051.74 in industry payments across 183 records for 2021–2025, with top payers including Regeneron, Novartis, Amarin, and Ionis — companies that make cholesterol and lipid medicines related to his clinical focus. Such payments are legal and publicly reported. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- The UC San Diego Health provider directory lists a practice location in Encinitas rather than La Jolla, so patients may want to confirm where he sees patients before booking. providers.ucsd.edu
- An older conference biography lists him as Assistant Professor while current sources list Associate Professor, so some third-party pages may be out of date. cardiometabolichealth.org
- His X (Twitter) account, opened in October 2014, showed no visible posts at the time of review. No Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, or Threads accounts were found in general searches, though platform-by-platform checks were not completed. x.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$135,052
183 payments
| 2021 | $50 |
| 2022 | $13,013 |
| 2023 | $23,626 |
| 2024 | $41,747 |
| 2025 | $56,616 |
Top payers
- Regeneron Healthcare Solutions, Inc.$68,232
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation$38,799
- Amarin Pharma Inc.$11,250
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$5,793
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.$4,358
Payment types
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$61,093
- Consulting Fee$58,333
- Travel and Lodging$9,782
- Food and Beverage$5,676
- Education$168
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: cardiology.ucsd.edu · providers.ucsd.edu · profiles.ucsd.edu · cardiology.ucsd.edu · x.com · linkedin.com · doximity.com · cardiometabolichealth.org. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
UC San Diego Health Advanced Lipid Disorders Clinic
200 W Arbor Dr
La Jolla, CA 92103
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