Speakers

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Our Founders

Dr. Scott Lee

Scott Lee, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine specializing in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Dr. Lee obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Pomona College and his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Colorado in Denver, followed by a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Washington.

After completing his fellowship, Dr. Lee attended the University of Chicago and Cedar-Sinai in Los Angeles as a visiting physician to gain additional training in IBD. Since finishing his fellowship, he has served as an attending gastroenterology physician at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Dr. Lee’s clinical practice is exclusively dedicated to providing care for patients with IBD at the Digestive Disease Center at the University of Washington. His research focuses on inflammatory bowel diseases, including the development of new therapies, improving treatment outcomes and long-term management, evaluating non-invasive biomarkers to assess disease activity in patients with IBD, and exploring the effects of the microbiome on IBD. He has actively participated in hundreds of IBD clinical trials and continues to have an active clinical research program.

Dr. Lee is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF), American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He has served as the past Chair of Northwest CCF Chapter Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) and remains a current member of the CMAC.

@DrScottDLee

Dr. Scott Lee

Dr. Scott Lee is an Associate Professor of Medicine with expertise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Dr. Anita Afzali

Anita Afzali, MD, 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.

In 2022 she 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. Afzali 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).

@IBD_Afzali

Dr. Anita Afzali

Dr. Anita Afzali is a 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, and Associate Chief Medical Officer of the UC Health System.

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Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh

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 inflammatory bowel disease, 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.

Wahbeh 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

Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh

Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh 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. Brian Feagan

Brian Feagan, MD, completed a medical degree at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His postdoctoral training included 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 Senior Achievement Award from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF) and Dean’s Award of Excellence from the University of Western Ontario. He has authored hundreds of 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 at the Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario. His research efforts focus on the design and implementation of randomized controlled trials of therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). He has been the principal investigator on numerous large-scale randomized clinical trials.

He lives in Canada and enjoys spending time shopping for his wife and collecting antiques.

Dr. Feagan is an Honorary IBDHorizons Board member.

Dr. Brian Feagan
Honorary Board Member

Dr. Feza Remzi

Feza Remzi, MD, FACS, FTSS (Hon), 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 diseases (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

Dr. Feza Remzi
Honorary Board Member

Dr. Bincy Abraham

Bincy Abraham, MD, earned her undergraduate degree in bioengineering at Texas A&M University in College Station, and then received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. She completed her internal medicine internship and residency, as well as a gastroenterology fellowship at UTMB, where she also earned a master’s in clinical investigation and received specialized training in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). During her training, she completed a National Visiting Fellow IBD Rotation Program through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. She is board certified in Internal medicine and Gastroenterology.

Dr. Abraham is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF), American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), and chair of the South Texas Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Medical Advisory Committee.

Dr. Abraham lives in Texas with her family, loves to travel, and enjoys uncovering local authentic cuisine.

@IBD_Houston

Dr. Bincy Abraham

Dr. Maria Abreu

Maria Abreu, MD, is a gastroenterologist and Director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She is the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Medicine as well as the Chair for the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). The focus of her laboratory has been host-bacterial interactions.

Dr. Abreu was the recipient of the 2019 Sherman Prize recognizing her outstanding achievements in IBD. In 2024, she will take the position as President of American Gastroenterology Association (AGA).

@ibddocmaria

Dr. Maria Abreu

Dr. Jessica Allegretti

Jessica Allegretti, MD, serves as the Medical Director for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Crohn’s and Colitis Center. She also serves as the Director of Clinical Research for the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Allegretti is extremely dedicated to providing high quality patient care while also conducting important clinical research that will advance the field. Allegretti was the recipient of the 2020 Emerging Leader in IBD Sherman Prize recognizing her outstanding achievements in IBD.

Dr. Allegretti is a fairly new mom and spends her free time with her family.

@DrAllegrettiIBD

Dr. Jessica Allegretti

Dr. Leonard Baidoo

Leonard Baidoo, MD, is a gastroenterologist in Chicago, Illinois and is affiliated with multiple hospitals, including Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and UPMC McKeesport. He received his medical degree from University of Ghana Medical School. Dr. Baidoo is one of 29 doctors at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and one of 24 at UPMC McKeesport who specialize in Gastroenterology.

Subspecialties: General Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Clinical Interests: IBD Treatment Outcome Monoclonal Antibodies Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Immunosuppressive Agents Double-Blind Method Lymphoma Colitis

Dr. Leonard Baidoo

Dr. Mitra Barahimi

Mitri Barahimi, MD, is a gastroenterologist with expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). She completed her GI fellowship at the University of Washington and has been caring for patients with IBD at the UW Montlake and Northwest campuses since 2019.

Dr. Barahimi is a Seattle native who enjoys spending time with her family and dog, hiking, baking, and running.

Dr. Mitra Barahimi

Dr. Elisa Boden

Elisa Boden, MD, is a gastroenterologist at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) who specializes in caring for patients with immune-mediated diseases of the GI tract including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) at Oregon State University. She loves the long-term relationships that she creates with her patients as she supports them holistically through living with chronic disease.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her children, golden retriever, and husband, who is a GI surgical oncologist. She also enjoys listening to live music, cooking, walking in nature and riding her Peloton.

@ElisaBodenIBDMD

Dr. Elisa Boden

Dr. Brian Bressler

Brian Bressler, MD, 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 diseases.

@DiscoverIBD

Dr. Brian Bressler

Dr. Casey Chapman

Casey Chapman, MD, is a gastroenterologist at GI Alliance.

Dr. Casey Chapman

Dr. Aline Charabaty

Aline Charabaty, M.D., is the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

She received her medical degree from Saint Joseph University School of Medicine, Beirut, and completed her internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Before joining Johns Hopkins Medicine, Dr. Charabaty was the Director of the IBD Center at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for over 10 years.

In addition to her expertise in IBD, Dr. Charabaty has a particular interest in women’s health, celiac disease, and cancer prevention.

Dr. Charabaty has consulted for the FDA and she is the chair of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of the D.C. Metropolitan area. She is a reviewer for peer-reviewed gastroenterology journals and section editor for Practical Reviews in Gastroenterology.

Dr. Charabaty received the Gastroenterology Award in Excellence in Teaching Residents and Fellows from Georgetown University and has also been recognized as “Top Doctor” by her peers in Washingtonian Magazine and the Washington Consumers’ CheckBook.

@DCharabaty

Dr. Aline Charabaty

Dr. Adam Cheifetz

Adam Cheifetz, MD, is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is Director of the Harvard Medical School Gastroenterology Clerkship Elective and Assistant Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Dr. Cheifetz specializes in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in multiple research projects relating to IBD and has published over 125 articles and chapters on the subject. His research currently focuses on optimizing the use of biologics through the proactive use of drug concentrations and antibodies. Dr. Cheifetz lectures nationally and internationally on IBD.

Dr. Adam Cheifetz

Dr. Edith Cheng

Edith Y. Cheng, M.D. is a UW professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Medical Genetics. She is medical director of the Maternal and Infant Care Center and the Prenatal Genetics and Fetal Therapy Program. In addition, Dr. Cheng is program director of the Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment Program at Seattle Children’s.

Dr. Cheng’s clinical interests include prenatal diagnosis, genetics and maternal cystic fibrosis, and in women and fetuses with genetic conditions.

Dr. Cheng believes that listening to the patient is essential to the doctor-patient relationship. With certifications in both medical genetics and genetic counseling, she guides patients through their high risk pregnancies.

Dr. Edith Cheng

Dr. Michael Chiorean

Michael Chiorean, MD, is the Director of the IBD Center of Excellence at Virginia Mason, Director of Digestive Disease Institute Research, is a fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) and a board member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF), where he serves on the Patient Education Committee.

Dr. Chiorean’s medical interests include inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), C Difficile, gastrointestinal bleeding, and small bowel endoscopy.

@mchiorean4

Dr. Michael Chiorean

Dr. William Cirocco

William Cirocco, MD, is Professor of Clinical Surgery and Program Director of the Colorectal Surgery Residency at The Ohio State University (OSU).

He obtained his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit, MI), completed General Surgery Residency at St. John Hospital (Detroit, MI) and Colorectal Surgery Residency at St. Vincent Health Center (Erie, PA).

Dr. Cirocco began his career in New York City at the State University of New York – Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn (SUNY-Downstate Medical Center) followed by considerable time in private practice in Kansas City, before returning to academic surgery and joining the Division of Colon & Rectal Surgery at OSU. He helped initiate and became Program Director of the ACGME-accredited Colorectal Surgery Residency at OSU. Dr. Cirocco is a Member-at-Large of the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) Executive Council and also sits on the editorial board of the ASCRS official journal, Diseases of the Colon & Rectum (DCR). He was the first recipient of the ASCRS Victor W. Fazio, MB, MS Award for Editorial Excellence and was named DCR “Star Reviewer” for 2017. Dr. Cirocco is a Senior Examiner for the American Board of Colon & Rectal Surgery (ABCRS), Associate Member of the ABCRS Written Examination Committee and founding member of the ASCRS Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee. He is also involved in regional surgical societies and is current President of the Midwest Surgical Association and Secretary/Treasurer of the Ohio Valley Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons.

Dr. William Cirocco

Kindra Clark-Snustad

Kindra is a board certified nurse practitioner with a clinical focus on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Willamette University and completed her bachelor’s in nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Washington, School of Nursing. Kindra works as a nurse practitioner in the University of Washington, Digestive Health Center, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic, caring for patients with IBD. She also works as an investigator on the University of Washington, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Program, assisting with clinical trials and investigator initiated studies.

Kindra Clark-Snustad, DNP

Dr. Raymond Cross

Raymond Cross, M.D., M.S., A.G.A.F., F.A.C.G. 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, and Scientific Co-Director of the Corevitas Registry.

@marylandibddoc

Dr. Raymond Cross

Dr. Kara De Felice

Kara De Felice, MD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and the Director of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) at the University of Cincinnati. She is building a multidisciplinary IBD Center with the goal to provide excellent IBD patient care, improve patient outcomes, participate in research, and train the next generation of gastroenterologists.

Dr. De Felice loves to travel, play tennis, watch football, have dinner and cocktails parties.

@KDeFelice_IBD

Dr. Kara De Felice

Dr. William DePaolo

William “Will” DePaolo, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington Medical Center and is the recipient of the Lynn M. and Michael D. Garvey endowed chair in Gastroenterology. He was named Director of the Center for Microbiome Sciences & Therapeutics (CMiST). CMiST will serve as a beacon for investigators, clinicians and patients interested in the human microbiome, and will offer a number of Innovation Services, facilitate collaboration and exploration through workshops and seminar series, and work alongside clinicians to develop and test microbiome-derived therapeutics.

Dr. William DePaolo

Heidi Drescher, MMS, PA-C

Heidi Drescher is a community based Physician Assistant and Registered Dietitian in Missoula, Montana. She delivers individualizes care to rural community patients with IBD, who may otherwise not have access to care. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Nutrition at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona; then completed a Dietetic Internship at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. During her training, she developed an interested in how the interplay of the native gut biome could influence the immune system and patient outcomes. She then attended Midwestern University and earned a Masters of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies. She is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), Crohn’s Colitis Foundation (CCF), and America Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).

Ms. Drescher was the recipient of the 2017 Sherman Prize recognizing her outstanding achievements in IBD.

Heidi Drescher, MMS, PA-C

Dr. Marla Dubinsky

Marla Dubinsky, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. She received her medical degree from Queen’s University, Canada. Dr. Dubinsky completed her pediatric residency at Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, Canada, and her clinical fellowship in gastroenterology and nutrition at Sainte-Justine Hospital at the University of Montreal, Canada. She completed her research fellowship in IBD at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, where she served as the Director of the Pediatric IBD Center before going to Mount Sinai as the Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and Co-Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Clinical Center. Dr. Dubinsky is also the Co-Director of the IBD Preconception and Pregnancy Planning Clinic at Mount Sinai.

She is the Co-Founder of Mi-Test Health, and Cornerstones Health which is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing and transforming communication between healthcare providers, patients, and industry partners through creative, comprehensive, and expert-based educational program. She is also a Co-Founder of Trellus Health, a resilience driven connected health solution for chronic conditions.

Dr. Dubinsky has been engaged in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical and translational research for over two decades. Her primary research focuses on developing predictive models and web-based decision support tools that integrate clinical and biomarkers to predict the natural history of IBD and response to therapy. She has a keen interest in personalized medicine in IBD and her research uncovers predictors of rapid disease progression with the goal of preventing complications by altering treatment plans. Dr. Dubinsky is the principal investigator of multiple large longitudinal cohorts including the Road to Prevention Multiplex Family Program at Mount Sinai with over 700 enrolled participants with a goal of using multi-omic data to predict the development of IBD in unaffected family members and co-investigator of the Risk Stratification and Identification of Immunogenetic and Microbial Markers of Rapid Disease Progression in Children with Crohn’s Disease (RISK) study and senior author on the manuscript presenting a model to predict the natural history of pediatric Crohn’s disease. Dr. Dubinsky is very committed to women’s reproductive health in IBD and in addition to her research in this field, she is the Co-founder of WECARE in IBD, an organization dedicated to the health of women with IBD. She has lectured widely, both nationally and internationally, and has published in peer-reviewed journals, including Gastroenterology, Lancet, JAMA, The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, The Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Dubinsky was the recipient of the 2022 Sherman Prize recognizing her outstanding achievements in IBD.

Dr. Marla Dubinsky

Allison Fairbanks, DNP, MPH

Allison Fairbanks, DNP, MPH is a nurse practitioner at the University of Washington specializing in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). She received a Masters of Public Health focused in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Oregon Health & Science University before completing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at the University of Washington. Allison has been working as a nurse practitioner in gastroenterology with a team-based approach to patient care since 2015.

She is from Northwest Washington and can oftentimes be found exploring parks, swimming, or chasing after her 2 young kids.

Allison Fairbanks, DNP, MPH

Dr. Rebecca Fausel

Rebecca Fausel, MD, is a gastroenterologist at The Oregon Clinic.

Dr. Rebecca Fausel

Elena R. Fisher, DNP, FNP-C

Dr. Elena Fisher has a passion for knowledge and mastery in her undergraduate study in nursing at University of New Mexico. She completed her Master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice at University of California, San Francisco.

Elena is a Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner currently working at the New Mexico Veterans Administration Medical Center (NMVAHCS). She is an active provider at the local, regional, and national level within the VA, including participant in VISN 22 Leadership Development Institute, Chair of the VA Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner Special Interest Group, member of the National VA Inflammatory Bowel Disease sub-committee. Nurse Practitioner Fisher is an active member of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA). Elena has a special interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is an active member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Ms. Fisher has ongoing interest in nursing scholarship and is an active member Treasurer of Sigma Theta Tau, Alpha Eta Chapter.

Elena loves to hike, and she enjoys hiking trips including the Swiss and Italian Alps.

Elena R. Fisher, DNP, FNP-C

Dr. Heather Frey

Dr. Frey is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She’s a maternal-fetal medicine physician, and cares for women whose pregnancies are considered high-risk due to a current or prior pregnancy complication, maternal medical condition or fetal condition. Dr. Frey understands that women who visit a high-risk obstetrician for care often feel overwhelmed and worried. She understands the importance of clear and compassionate communication and she takes time with her patients, to ensure that the care that provided is thorough and addresses the questions and needs of the patient and her family. Dr. Frey has gained an appreciation for the role of the physician not only as a clinical provider but also as an educator and scientist. She recognizes how her impact on maternal and child health can be amplified by educating others and performing research that leads to improved evidence-based care. Dr. Frey enjoys spending time with her husband and son cooking, hiking, and reading together.

Dr. Heather Frey

Dr. Christina Ha

Tina Ha, MD, is the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Section at the Mayo Clinic Phoenix Arizona. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine. Dr. Ha earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. She likes to spend time with friends and family, as well as exploring the outdoors with her golden retriever, Sebastian – “who does not enjoy walking or retrieving.”

@tinahamd

Dr. Christina Ha

Dr. Stephen B. Hanauer

Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, FACG, is a Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

He has expertise in designing and leading clinical studies for IBD related therapies, and has acted as a clinical investigator and/or advisor in the development of many leading therapies. Dr. Hanauer has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous books and book chapters, abstracts, monographs, and editorials.

He is a Master and past President of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the former Chair of the American Gastroenterological Association’s Inflammation, Immunology, and IBD Section, as well as the Clinical Practice Chair. He is a member and former-Chairman of the International Organization for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD).

Dr. Hanauer has been awarded many honors over his years for expertise, clinical excellence, teaching, mentoring, and IBD research from international organizations such as AGA, ACG, NIH, and AMA. He has served as a member of the U.S. FDA Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee since 1987, Chaired the Committee from 1998-2000, and has served the Center for Drug Development and Research as a Special Consultant defining new guidelines for clinical evaluation of IBD patients.

He is a proud father of 3 sons, grandfather of 7, and the family enjoy traveling around the world.

@NMH_SHanauerMD

Dr. Stephen B Hanauer

Dr. Jason Harper

Jason Harper, MD, is the Director of the Harborview Medical Center Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) program, and is a University of Washington Clinical Assistant Professor. He earned his M.D. from Columbia University, and did his Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at the University of Washington. He is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF) and is on the regional Medical Advisory Committee.

Dr. Harper’s clinical interests revolve around IBD, while his research focuses on studying clinical outcomes in IBD.

Dr. Jason Harper

Erica Heagy

Erica Heagy, NP, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist. She earned her undergraduate degree at Oregon State University and Master of Science in Nursing at the University of San Francisco. After practicing medicine in California and Oregon for 18 years, Erica moved back to her home state of Alaska. For 15 years, she worked in gastroenterology at The Oregon Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Erica’s scope of practice includes general GI, specializing in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and is a preferred provider with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF). Erica is faculty with the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), and is a member of several organizations, including the American Nurses Association (ANA).

Recently, Erica became the care coordinator for the RADIUS program in the Northwest, a program dedicated to partnering with local Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) providing specialty IBD care to rural areas. Erica is a national speaker on IBD and is dedicated to educating patients and healthcare providers about IBD while raising disease awareness.

Erica is originally from Alaska and enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, running, and hiking with her family.

Erica Heagy, NP

Brooke Hodnick

Brooke Hodnick, PA, is a board certified Physician’s Assistant at GI Alliance in Austin, Texas. She specializes in treating patients who have inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

Brooke Hodnick, PA

Dr. David Hudesman

David Hudesman, MD, AGAF, FACG, is Co-Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health. He is Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

Dr. Hudesman specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and in the provision of integrated, seamless, patient-centered care. His research is focused on the development of biomarkers and evaluation and optimization of new medical therapies for the treatment of IBD.

Dr. Hudesman served on the Research Committee and is currently a member of the Educational Affairs Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the Professional Membership Committee of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF), and the Quality Committee of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). He is a reviewer for many scientific gastroenterology journals and is on the editorial board of the IBD Journal.

@DavidHudesmanMD

Dr. David Hudesman

Dr. Syed Husain

Syed Husain, MD, serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University and Attending Colorectal Surgeon at Wexner Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from Dow Medical College Karachi, Pakistan. After completion of General Surgery residency at Harlem Hospital Center in New York, Dr. Husain went on to complete a Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery at University of Rochester, NY followed by a Fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at Brown University, RI.

Dr. Husain is Board Certified in General Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery, and is a member of several professional organizations. He is the recipient of several teaching and achievement awards and research grants. His clinical interests include evaluation and application of new surgical techniques and technology to the field of colorectal surgery with special focus towards utilization of minimally invasive platform for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He has extensively studied clinical outcomes in surgery and has authored multiple peer reviewed publications in the fields of Minimally Invasive and Colorectal Surgery.

@Colon_Doc

Dr. Syed Husain

Dr. Sonia Hussain

Sonia Hussain, MD, is a clinical pharmacist at the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center in the Digestive Health Center and Hepatology Clinics and Clinical Instructor with the UW School of Pharmacy. Dr. Hussain earned her Bachelor’s degree in biology at George Mason University and Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Hampton University. She then completed a 1-year post-graduate residency in pharmacy practice at Georgetown University. Currently, she works as a clinical pharmacist with providers, nurses, MAs, and clinic team to manage patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis) and Hepatitis C. She is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

Dr. Sonia Hussain

Dr. Caroline Hwang

Caroline Hwang, MD, is

Dr. Caroline Hwang

Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs

Jeffrey Jacobs, MD, is a gastroenterologist with a patient-centered and team-based approach to medical care while using the most up-to-date research to achieve the best outcome for his patients. His clinical interests include integrating intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his twin girls, trying new restaurants with his wife, and playing with his dog at the park.

Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs

Dr. Philip Jaffe

Gastroenterologist Philip Jaffe, MD, serves as the director of clinical and endoscopy services at the Digestive Health Institute. A native of New York, Dr. Jaffe earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, and served as chief medical resident. He followed with a two-year fellowship in gastroenterology at that university, then a mini-sabbatical in endoscopic ultrasound at the University of Indiana School of Medicine in Indianapolis. He began professional practice as the medical director of the GI Endoscopy Unit at the Tucson VA Medical Center, then assumed a similar responsibility at the University Medical Center in Tucson. He served in several clinical and academic positions during subsequent years with the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, the Cleveland Clinic in Naples, Florida, and the University of Connecticut Health Center. Most recently he was medical director of the Digestive Disease Center at Yale New Haven Medical Centers Saint Raphael campus in New Haven, Connecticut, and assistant clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine during that time. In his free time, Dr. Jaffe enjoys traveling, skiing, listening to music and spending time with his family.

Dr. Philip Jaffe

Dr. Rajeev Jain

Dr. Rajeev Jain is the Chief of Gastroenterology at Dallas-Presbyterian Hospital, and is part of the Texas Digestive Disease Consultants. Dr. Jain studied medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. In his spare time he enjoys traveling with his wife and kids.

Dr. Rajeev Jain

Kendra Kamp, PhD, RN

Kendra Kamp, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. She received her PhD from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, and an undergraduate nursing degree from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. Kendra’s passion is to improve the lives of individuals with gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Her dissertation examined the relationship between social support and self-management behaviors of medication adherence and diet modification finding that informational social support was associated with increased medication adherence. Kendra plans to expand her program of research to develop interventions aimed at improving self-management of individuals living with IBD.

@kendra_kamp

Kendra Kamp, PhD, RN

Dr. Maia Kayal

Maia Kayal, MD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center. She specializes in the care of patients with IBD. She graduated from New York University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kayal’s research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch is funded by the NIH, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Rainin Foundation. She is a former ACG Young Physicians Leadership Scholar and a current AGA Future Leader. She enjoys a friendly Peloton competition and searching for the perfect local cup of coffee.

@MaiaKayalMD

Dr. Maia Kayal

Dr. Jami Kinnucan

Jami Kinnucan, MD, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She studied medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker’s School of Medicine. She then went on to complete her training in internal medicine training at Northwestern University, and completed her gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) training at the University of Chicago with Dr. David Rubin and Dr. Stephen Hanauer. Dr. Kinnucan’s clinical focus is in the treatment of patients with IBD, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. She is particularly interested in how sleep quality affects IBD patient’s disease activity and quality of life, the effects of inflammation on the development of colorectal cancer in patients with IBD, and the management of IBD during pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Kinnucan serves on the Patient Education Committee for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.

@ibdgijami

Dr. Jami Kinnucan

Dr. Glenn Koteen

Dr. Glenn M Koteen, MD is a Doctor primarily located in Bend, OR, with another office in Bend, OR. He has 40 years of experience. His specialties include Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine Patients’ Choice Award (2018) Patients’ Choice recognition reflects the difference a particular physician has made in the lives of his/her patients. The honor is bestowed to physicians who have received near perfect scores, as voted by patients Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2018) Compassionate Doctor certification is granted to physicians who treat their patients with the utmost kindness. The honor is granted based on a physician’s overall and bedside manner scores.

Dr. Glenn Koteen

Dr. Dale Lee

Dale Lee, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He’s the Medical Director of Clinical Nutrition at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lee leads a multidisciplinary team studying Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) including clinical gastroenterology, clinical nutrition, nutrition epidemiology, and food science. He enjoys playing guitar, and is presently trying to teach his 5-year old son how to play ukulele.

Dr. Dale Lee

Dr. Gary Lichtenstein

Gary Lichtenstein, MD, is the Director of the IBD Center and Professor of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Lichtenstein earned his medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York, New York. His current research interests encompass investigational therapies for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease).

@PennIBDDoc

Dr. Gary Lichtenstein

Dr. Edward Loftus Jr

Edward Loftus, Jr, MD, is a gastroenterologist specializing in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Rochester, Minnesota at Mayo Clinic. He received his medical degree from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors over his years in practice. You can oftentimes find Dr. Loftus barbecuing, wearing floral shirts, taste-testing IPA’s, and enjoying travels with his family.

@EdwardLoftus2

Dr. Edward Loftus, Jr.

Dr. Millie Long

Millie D. Long, MD, MPH, earned her doctor of medicine degree at the University of Virginia, where she was a Bowman Scholar. She completed a residency and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She then completed a gastroenterology fellowship at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at University of North Carolina, she also completed a fellowship in preventive medicine and a masters of public health in epidemiology at the Gillings School of Public Health. She is board certified in internal medicine, preventive medicine and gastroenterology. She is currently Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of North Carolina, as well as Director of the Fellowship Program. Her clinical practice is based at the University of North Carolina Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center.

@MLongMD

Dr. Millie Long

Dr. Donald Lum

Donald Lum, MD, FACG, graduated from the University of California at Davis. He completed his internship and residency at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and later became Chief Resident for the Department of Medicine at OHSU. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of California in San Francisco.

Dr. Lum is a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and a fellow in the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). He formerly served as Associate Chief of Gastroenterology for the VA Northern California Healthcare System. Dr. Lum is the medical director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at The Oregon Clinic Gastroenterology East. He is the chair of the Portland Citywide IBD conference. He previously served as the Deputy of Member Engagement of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF) IBD Qorus program.

Dr. Lum was raised near a Napa Valley farm and loves traveling with his family, indulging in the Portland food scene, and conquering road cycling adventures.

Dr. Donald Lum

Dr. Gil Melmed

Gil Y. Melmed, MD, MS, is the Director of Clinical Research and Advanced IBD Training, and is Co-Director of Clinical Operations at the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and master of science in clinical research from UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Dr Melmed completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He has authored or coauthored more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. Dr Melmed is an Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, an ad hoc reviewer for several journals, and previously a clinicalresearch editor for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He is Dr Melmed is on abstract review committees for numerous organizations, and has given more than 100 invited lectures and presentations nationally and internationally. He is a committee member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, where he serves as co-chair of the IBD Quality of Care committee. He has led or participated in the development of quality measures for IBD with the American Gastroenterology Association, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the Canadian Crohn’s and Colitis organizations.

@GilMelmedMD

Dr. Gil Melmed

Dr. Alan Moss

Alan Moss, MD, FACG, AGAF, FEBG, FRCPI, is a clinician-scientist with an interest in Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease, IBD). His clinical expertise is in the management of IBD, and he is Director of the Crohn’s & Colitis Program at Boston Medical Center. His research interests include microbial therapeutics, mucosal immunology, and clinical outcomes. He has held grant funding from NIDDK, AGA, Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. He has published over 120 research papers (h-index 28), including many cited in national and international practice guidelines. Dr. Moss has held positions as Deputy-Editor of Crohn’s & Colitis 360, and as Associate Editor for Journal of Crohn’s & Colitis (ECCO), Frontline Gastroenterology (BMJ), and the World Journal of Gastroenterology. He has served on the Nominating Committee of the IBD section of AGA, and the Professional Education and National Scientific Advisory Committee for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. He is a reviewer for national and international research bodies, including the NIDDK and European Research Council.

MBChB, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
PhD, University College Dublin

@moss_md

Dr. Alan Moss

Dr. George Munoz

Dr. George Munoz is a board-certified rheumatologist and internist, fellowship trained in Rheumatology/Immunology at the Harvard Medical School affiliates, The Brigham and Women’s Hospital and The Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He completed a second fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine founded by Andrew Weil, MD, and was the first recipient of the Jones Lovell Rheumatology Scholar Award 2006-2008. He was also the first integrative rheumatology fellow trained in the United States and is a national and global speaker, lecturer, published author, and co-editor. He serves as Chief of Integrative Medicine and Integrative Rheumatology for AARA, the largest rheumatology supergroup in the US. He is a futurist and innovator, specializing in “the patient journey and experience”, as a cornerstone and guiding principal for healthcare stakeholders to emulate and innovate.

Dr. George Munoz

Dr. Miguel Ordonnez

Miguel Ordonez, M.D., joined MultiCare Rockwood in July 2013. He received his undergraduate degree from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, and his medical degree from Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala. Dr. Ordonez completed a residency in Internal Medicine at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX, as well as a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of South Alabama Hospitals in Mobile, AL.

He also completed a training program in the application of stem cell transplantation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Lied Transplant Center in Omaha, NE. Dr. Ordonez is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a member of many organizations including the American Association of Gastroenterology and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Miguel Ordonnez

Dr. Mark Osterman

Mark Osterman, MD, MSCE is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine where he serves as the Associate Director of IBD Research for the Penn Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He has been heavily involved in clinical research in inflammatory bowel disease for the last 10 years, with a focus on clinical trials of novel therapies, optimization and safety of medical therapies using observational studies, therapeutic drug monitoring of immunosuppressant medications, and mucosal healing.

He has been lead PI or a steering committee member of a number of multi-center clinical trials. He is one of the nation’s pioneers of the study and use of proactive therapeutic drug monitoring for biologic therapy in IBD. His work has been funded by the AGA, NIH, CCFA, pharmaceutical industries, and private philanthropy. Dr. Osterman has recently served as Chair of the Chapter Medical Advisory Committee for the CCFA Philadelphia Chapter, for which he is also a board member.

Dr. Mark Osterman

Dr. Hannibal Person

Hannibal Person, MD, FAAP, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He is the Medical Director of the Gut-Brain Health Program, Director of GI JEDI, and serves as the Chair of the UW Committee on Minority Faculty Advancement. Dr. Person’s clinical passions include disorders of gut-brain interaction, particularly the use of psychological strategies in the management of children with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms. His research is focused on understanding racial health inequities in pediatric gastrointestinal disorders as well as formulating and testing educational interventions to facilitate antiracism praxis in healthcare. Dr Person enjoys spending time with his schnauzer mix named Molly during their long walks.

@HannibalPerson

Dr. Hannibal Person

Dr. Laura Raffals

Laura Raffals, MD, MS, is Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine Associate Chair of Faculty Development, Vice Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, and Chair of the Operations Coordinating Group for the Rochester, MN campus of Mayo Clinic. Dr. Raffals’ clinical and research interests have focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a focus on pouch disorders, exploring the intersection of pouch motility disorders, and pouch inflammation. Dr. Raffals is a speaker in faculty development, career development, and work-life integration.

Dr. Raffals has two daughters, who keep her on her toes with all of their activities and shenanigans.

@LauraRaffalsMD

Dr. Laura Raffals

Dr. Miguel Regueiro

Miguel Regueiro, MD, is the Chair of the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at Cleveland Clinic, and Professor in the Department of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Regueiro’s main clinical and research interest is Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) with a focus on the natural course of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He leads research on postoperative prevention of Crohn’s disease, as well as developing new models of healthcare, including the first-of-its kind specialty medical home for IBD.

Dr. Regueiro’s family has an elderly Beagle named Elvis, who seems to be part cat and climbs to the highest furniture in the house.

@MRegueiroMD

Dr. Miguel Regueiro

Dr. Florian Rieder

Florian Rieder, MD, is Vice Department Chair in Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition and Co-Section Director in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) at the Cleveland Clinic. His work has been acknowledged through national and international leadership roles in clinical guidelines and scientific initiatives. The Rieder lab is internationally recognized for his work on intestinal fibrosis.

Dr. Rieder loves to travel with his family. #WeTheFibrosisLab

@IBD_FloMD

Dr. Florian Rieder

Dr. Tim Ritter

Timothy Ritter, MD, is a Senior Medical Director of the Department of Research and Education at GI Alliance, and oversees the groups clinical research across 21 sites in eight states. He earned his medical degree from University of Texas Southwestern and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at TCU School of Medicine. Dr. Ritter has been a practicing GI for over 30 years in Southlake, Texas, with his primary interest in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), clinical trials, and for education of physicians and advanced level providers. He enjoys working with the medical students from the TCU Burnett school of medicine.

Dr. Ritter is passionate about Aggie football, an avid reader, lover of music, and a rabid baseball fan holding season tickets to the Texas Rangers for the last 35 years.

Dr. Tim Ritter

Dr. Bruce Sands

Bruce Sands, MD, MS, is the Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology of the Mount Sinai Health System.

Dr. Sands is an expert in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and has earned an international reputation for his care of patients with complex and refractory disease. Dr. Sands was awarded his BA and MD from Boston University, and trained in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing GI fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School and served as the Acting Chief of the Gastrointestinal Unit at MGH before moving to Mount Sinai in 2010 as Chief of the Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Sands is a past chair of the Clinical Research Alliance of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and served as Chair of the Immunology, Microbiology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Section of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). Additionally, Dr. Sands was the Chair of the International Organization for the Study of IBD (IOIBD). In 2016 Dr. Sands was awarded the Dr. Henry Janowitz Lifetime Achievement Award from the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation (CCF), the organization’s highest honor. In 2023, Dr. Sands was the recipient of the Jacobi Medallion, Mount Sinai’s highest award, given for distinguished contributions to the field of medicine or extraordinary service to the Hospital, Health System, School of Medicine, or alumni community.

Dr. Sands is widely recognized for his innovative treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and for his expertise in the clinical investigation of new therapeutics. Dr. Sands’ research also explores IBD epidemiology and includes the creation of a population-based cohort of IBD in Rhode Island, a project funded by both the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. Dr. Sands has served as an Associate Editor for the journal Gastroenterology, and has published more than 300 original manuscripts in leading journals such as Gut, Gastroenterology, and the American Journal of Gastroenterology. He was the lead investigator of the landmark studies ACCENT 2, UNIFI and VARSITY, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and SEAVUE, published in The Lancet.

@bruce_sands1

Dr. Bruce Sands

Dr. Mika Sinanan

Dr. Sinanan is a UW professor of surgery, specializing in gastrointestinal oncology and surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, reoperative surgery, complex hernia treatment, and diseases of the colon and rectum. A leader in minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery, he is one of the founders of the WWAMI Institute for Simulation in Healthcare (WISH). He currently serves as Medical Director for Contracting and Value-Based Care.

Dr. Mika Sinanan

Dr. Harry Thomas

Harry J. Thomas, MD, graduated from the University of Cambridge with a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences and received a medical degree from the University of Oxford. In addition, he received a master’s degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. After serving as a house officer in the U.K. National Health Service, he completed his internship and residency in medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

He moved to Austin in 2014 and practiced at Baylor Scott & White where he was an assistant professor of medicine at Texas A&M prior to joining Austin Gastroenterology in 2017. His clinical interests are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and he has served as Site Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He is active with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, serving as co-chair of the National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC) Patient Education committee, member of the Austin Leadership Board, and chair of the Austin Mission Committee. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of People’s Community Clinic, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Austin, and on the board of the Texas Society for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy and the Digestive Health Physicians Association. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized a group of over 100 local volunteer health care providers – Health Alliance for Vaccine Equity – to administer vaccinations to underserved populations in Austin-Travis County through pop-up clinics.

Dr. Thomas lives in Austin with his wife and kids, and enjoys finding delicious foods and street fairs.

@DrHarryThomas

Dr. Harry Thomas

Dr. Thomas Ullman

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine has named Thomas Ullman, MD, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, beginning in March 2018. Dr. Wolkoff will continue as Chief, Division of Hepatology and Director of the Marion Bessin Liver Research Center.

Dr. Ullman is currently Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Professor of Medicine in the Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer in the Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice.

An internationally renowned expert in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Dr. Ullman has focused his research at Mount Sinai on the relationship between IBD and colorectal cancer and has led national efforts to improve quality of care in IBD including establishing accepted quality metrics for the process and outcome of IBD care and exploring factors associated with hospital readmission in IBD. He has conducted numerous studies detailing the natural history of dysplasia in ulcerative colitis, the influence of inflammation on carcinogenesis in IBD, and the relative chemopreventive effects of a number of therapies used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC).

Dr. Thomas Ullman

Dr. Fernando Velayos

Fernando S Velayos, MD, MPH, is Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, and Associate Director of Translational Research for UCSF’s Center for Crohn’s and Colitis. He completed his medical degree, residency, chief residency, and gastroenterology fellowship at UCSF. Dr Velayos also received additional training in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and clinical research at UC, Berkeley. His research interests include novel therapies for IBD as well as methods for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer in IBD. Dr Velayos has a K-12 Career Development Award to identify novel biomarkers that are predictive of future cancer risk and to examine 5-ASA agents on colorectal cancer in patients with IBD. He has coauthored numerous articles that have been published in journals such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Gastroenterology, and American Journal of Gastroenterology. Dr Velayos is a member of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, serving on the National Patient Education Committee.

@realcecum

Dr. Fernando Velayos

Teresa Wachs

Teresa Wachs is a registered nurse at Seattle Children’s in the IBD Center. She attended Iowa Methodist School of Nursing and Drake University. She is certified in ambulatory care and Case Management. Teresa is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Medical Advisory Committ.ee and co-medical director of IBD Camp Oasis.

Teresa Wachs

Betty White

Betty White has served the South Puget Sound for over 15 yrs as a Nurse Practitioner specializing in IBD. She was awarded the Susan Rosenthal award for Patient Care in 2014. She has served on the local and national Crohns and Colitis committees.

She has been program chair for the Crohns and Colitis NW Nursing Forum for over 10 years. Ms. White also lends her time to Trellus Health.

Betty White

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Our Founders

Dr. Scott Lee is an Associate Professor of Medicine with expertise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Dr. Anita Afzali is a 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, and Associate Chief Medical Officer of the UC Health System.

Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh 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.

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