7th Annual IBDHorizons Midwest 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 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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  Bruce Sands, MD Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine; Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Health System
  

  Bruce Sands, MD

  Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine at Icahn School of Medicine; Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Health System

  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 (CCF) 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 IBD 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

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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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  Kara De Felice, MD Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director of University of Cincinnati Health IBD Center
  

  Kara De Felice, MD

  Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director of University of Cincinnati Health IBD Center

  Dr. De Felice 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

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  Maia Kayal, MD 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
  

  Maia Kayal, MD

  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

  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 and research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch.

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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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  Scott D. Lee, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at University of Washington Medical Center
  

  Scott D. Lee, MD

  Associate Professor of Medicine, Director, Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at University of Washington Medical Center

  Dr. Scott D. Lee is an Associate Professor of Medicine with expertise in inflammatory bowel diseases. Dr. Lee earned his bachelor’s degree at Pomona College and his M.D. at Jefferson Medical College. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver. After residency, Dr. Lee completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Washington. After completing his fellowship, he 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 been an attending gastroenterology physician at the University of Washington Medical Center. Currently, his clinical practice is at the Digestive Disease Center at the University of Washington and is dedicated exclusively to providing care to patients with the diagnosis of IBD. His research is focused on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) including – new therapies for IBD, improving outcomes in the treatment and long-term management of IBD, evaluation of non-invasive biomarkers to assess disease activity in IBD patients, and the effects of the microbiome on IBD. He has participated in more than 100 clinical trials in IBD and continues to have an active clinical research program. He is a member of the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation of America (CCF), American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He is a past chair of Northwest CCF Chapter Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) and continues as a current member of the CMAC.