6th Annual Pacific Northwest IBDHorizons Symposium

Speakers

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  Anita Afzali, MD, MPH, MHCM Professor of Medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Executive Vice Chair of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Associate Chief Medical Officer of the UC Health System
  

  Anita Afzali, MD, MPH, MHCM

  Professor of Medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases, Executive Vice Chair of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Associate Chief Medical Officer of the UC Health System

  Dr. Anita Afzali is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Executive Vice Chair of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She is also the Associate Chief Medical Officer of the UC Health System. She received her medical degree and then completed Internal Medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. While in fellowship, Dr. Afzali worked in outcomes research and epidemiology, and graduated with a Masters in Public Health from The University of Washington. She then later obtained another Masters In Healthcare Management (MHCM) from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her sub-specialty training includes a one-year advanced IBD fellowship at the University of Washington, prior to becoming faculty.

  While practicing at the University of Washington – Harborview Medical Center, Dr. Afzali served as the Director of the IBD Program and Associate Medical Director of Gastroenterology Clinics. After Seattle, Dr. Afzali moved to Columbus, OH to be the Medical Director of The OSU IBD Center and the Vice Chair of Clinical Operations of Gastroenterology at The Ohio State University.

  Recently, she has transitioned to the University of Cincinnati where she serves as the Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. Her research interests include drug study design, investigational drug trials, and clinical outcomes. She has extensive peer-reviewed publications, an invited lecturer on national and international programs, and serves on several international advisory boards and committees including Chair of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Educational Affairs Committee and Vice Chair of Publications Committee for the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO).

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  Brian Bressler, MD Clinical Associate Professor, St. Paul’s Hospital
  

  Brian Bressler, MD

  Clinical Associate Professor, St. Paul’s Hospital

  Dr. Bressler is the Director of the Advanced IBD training program at UBC. Dr. Bressler received his MD from the University of British Columbia and completed his residency in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Toronto. He received an MS in Epidemiology from the Harvard Public School of Health and completed an advanced fellowship in IBD at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Bressler is a recognized expert in inflammatory bowel diseases. His research interests include population-based studies, classic clinical epidemiology studies, and clinical trials in inflammatory bowel disease.

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  Brian Feagan, MD, MSc Professor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in London, Ontario, Senior Scientific Director of Alimentiv Inc
  

  Brian Feagan, MD, MSc

  Professor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in London, Ontario, Senior Scientific Director of Alimentiv Inc

  Dr. Brian Feagan is a gastroenterologist, with training in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. His research focus is the design, conduct, and execution of large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), and over the past 30 years, has been Principal Investigator in over 140 multi-center RCTs. His research has been devoted to the development, validation, and optimization of outcome measures to assess the efficacy of novel therapeutics in IBD. Dr. Feagan is Professor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, a gastroenterologist at London Health Sciences Centre and Senior Scientific Director of Alimentiv Inc (formerly Robarts Clinical Trials Inc).

  Brian G. Feagan completed a medical degree at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His postdoctoral training included a residency in the Department of Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Western Ontario. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Dr. Feagan holds membership in the Canadian and American Association of Gastroenterology, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC), and the European Crohn’s & Colitis Organization (ECCO). He is the recipient of the 2013 Senior Achievement Award from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF) and the Dean’s Award of Excellence in 2013 from the University of Western Ontario. He has authored numerous articles, book chapters and has also given over 900 invited presentations, at national and international scientific meetings. In 1997, Dr. Feagan became Director of Robarts Clinical Trials (now Alimentiv, Inc.).

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  Feza Remzi, MD Vice President and Colorectal Surgeon at Northwell Health Center for Advanced IBD Care, New York
  

  Feza Remzi, MD

  Vice President and Colorectal Surgeon at Northwell Health Center for Advanced IBD Care, New York

  Dr. Feza Remzi is the Vice President and a colorectal surgeon at the Center for Advanced IBD Care at Northwell Health in New York.

  He is a national and international expert in colorectal surgery, specializing in the surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He performs pelvic pouch surgery, complex abdominopelvic re-operative surgery, and sphincter-saving surgery for rectal cancer, utilizing minimally invasive techniques to manage colorectal conditions.

  Dr. Remzi resides in New York with his wife and son. They enjoy traveling and spending time together as a family.

  Dr. Remzi is an Honorary IBDHorizons Board member.

  @FezaRemziMD

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  Ghassan Wahbeh, MD Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Professor of Pediatrics and Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Gastroenterology Operations.​
  

  Ghassan Wahbeh, MD

  Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Professor of Pediatrics and Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Gastroenterology Operations.​

  Ghassan Wahbeh, MD, is the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He is a Professor of Pediatrics and Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Gastroenterology Operations. Dr. Wahbeh’s clinical focus is in advanced care for children, adolescents, and young adults with IBD, including advanced therapeutics and perioperative IBD management. He leads the Intestinal Ultrasound (IUS) Program at Seattle Children’s.

  Dr. Wahbeh’s research interests include novel therapeutics for pediatric IBD, advanced disease monitoring towards mucosal healing, clinical standard work in managing severe ulcerative colitis and complicated Crohn’s disease including fistulizing and stricturing phenotypes, and navigating IBD surgical options. He is actively involved in translational IBD research at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

  Dr. Wahbeh is actively involved as teaching faculty in medical student education, resident training and fellow physician specialty, and advanced IBD specialty training.

  He is the honored recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award, as well as the Family Choice Award, and the Northwest Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation service award. Dr. Wahbeh enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and paddle-boarding with his wife and kids.

  Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh is a co-founder of IBDHorizons

  @PedsIBD_Wahbeh

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  Raymond Cross, MD Professor of Medicine/Director of the IBD Program University of Maryland School of Medicine
  

  Raymond Cross, MD

  Professor of Medicine/Director of the IBD Program University of Maryland School of Medicine

  Raymond Cross, is a Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He is also Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director of the Digestive Health Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

  Dr. Cross received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Jefferson College and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the University of Maryland and Baltimore VA Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Cross obtained a Master of Science degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

  Dr. Cross has authored over 190 journal articles, reviews, and book chapters. His research interests include application of telemedicine in the care of patients with IBD, disparities, outcomes research and clinical trials. He is Co-Chair of the Clinical Research Alliance, Research & Investigator Engagement Lead for SPARC IBD, past Chair of the Clinical Grants Review Committee and Patient Education Committee for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF) and Scientific Co-Director of the Corevitas Registry.

  @marylandibddoc

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  Tina Ha, MD Director, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Section, Mayo Clinic Arizona
  

  Tina Ha, MD

  Director, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Section, Mayo Clinic Arizona

  Dr. Tina Ha is a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Section.

  Dr. Ha earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. She completed an internal medicine residency at Washington University at St. Louis School of Medicine as well as a fellowship in gastroenterology. She continued to a fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

  She likes to spend her free time with friends and family, and exploring the outdoors with her golden retriever Sebastian – who does not enjoy walking or retrieving.

  @tinahamd