Dr. Veldhuyzen van Zanten studied Medicine and did his Internal Medicine residency training at the University of Amsterdam in Holland. He trained in Gastroenterology at McMaster University, followed by a research fellowship in Gastroenterology and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology. From 1990-2006 he worked at Dalhousie University in Halifax. In 1992 he obtained a PhD in Medicine for a thesis on clinical aspects of Helicobacter pylori infection. In 2006 he moved to the University of Alberta in Edmonton where he became the Director of the Gastroenterology Division at the University of Alberta Hospital and Head of GI for the Edmonton Zone. From 2017-2023 he was the Senior Medical Director of the Digestive Health Strategic Clinical Network (DHSCN) of Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Alberta. He retired in October 2023 from active clinical practice. He has maintained Professor Emeritus Status at the University of Alberta. He continues to conduct clinical research studies and is involved in DHSCN quality of care clinical projects.

He has a variety of research interests including Helicobacter pylori, dyspepsia, ulcer disease, GERD, inflammatory bowel disease, quality of care, clinical care pathways and evidence-based medicine. He has published more than 260 peer reviewed manuscripts and received many peer and non-peer reviewed grants. From 2003-2006 he held Howard Webster Department of Medicine Research Chair at Dalhousie University. From 1998-2003 He was the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at Dalhousie University.