Program Details
Pairing of Mentees and Mentors
The mentors’ profiles are posted to the ACG website for review. Mentees will submit their top three requests for mentors to the ACG office. The assignment of mentors will be performed on a first-come-first-served basis. Once a match is made, the ACG office will notify both the mentee and the mentor via e-mail.
Communication Between Mentees and Mentors
Mentees will be instructed to contact mentors initially via the email address provided by ACG. The frequency of meetings is up to you and your mentee(s), however mentors are encouraged to connect with their mentees at least quarterly or at a minimum twice per year.
Feedback
The program will be assessed annually. Feedback will be obtained via questionnaires distributed to both mentees and mentors. The data will be analyzed to evaluate the success of the program and to identify areas in need of improvement. In order to continue participating in the mentoring program, mentees will be required to submit their evaluations.
Mentor Profiles – By Category
All mentors have submitted a paragraph detailing their education and training, special gastrointestinal interests, current clinical activities, and one to three sentences explaining the reasoning behind their career choices. Click on a name below to view the profile.
Private Practice
Academics
Research Career
Clinical Career
Education Career
Work-Life Integration
General Mentoring Advice
Mentor Profiles – Alphabetical
All mentors have submitted a paragraph detailing their education and training, special gastrointestinal interests, current clinical activities, and one to three sentences explaining the reasoning behind their career choices. Click on a name below to view the profile.
Douglas G. Adler, MD, FACG, AGAF, FASGE, received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York, NY. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Adler completed both a general gastrointestinal fellowship and a therapeutic endoscopy/ERCP fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He then returned to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for a fellowship in endoscopic ultrasound. Dr. Adler is currently Co-Director of the Center for Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at Centura Health in Denver, Colorado and a Professor of Medicine. Prior to that he was a tenured Professor of Medicine at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. Adler was also the GI Fellowship Program Director at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine for seven years. Dr. Adler focuses his clinical, educational, and research efforts on the diagnosis and management of patients with gastrointestinal cancers and complex gastrointestinal disease, with an emphasis on therapeutic endoscopy. Dr. Adler is an internationally recognized expert on all facets of ERCP, EUS, and gastrointestinal stenting. He is the author of more than 450 scientific publications, articles, and book chapters and he has published 8 gastroenterology textbooks, including the first textbook on Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound. Dr. Adler has also published more than 40 articles on aviation, aerospace, and astronomy.
Categories: Research Career
I am an Assistant Professor at Mount Sinai, New York, specializing in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I am a clinical and translational researcher, with focus in IBD epidemiology, early life and preclinical IBD. I am also interested in disparities in IBD care and management of IBD in minority groups. I strongly believe in equitable access to care for patients, and career opportunities for physician trainees. Having received training and mentorship from the best in the field, I understand the value of mentorship and I am committed to paying it forward. I am happy to help trainees and junior faculty identify and navigate their career path, and career-life-health balance.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Sangeeta Agrawal is a Professor of Medicine, Chief of Division of Gastroenterology and works at Dayton VA Medical Center. She is also the GI fellowship Program Director at Wright State University. She has 5 years of experience in private practice and 15 years in academics. She completed her residency and fellowship from University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. She is also the co-founder of a non-profit organization, Global Pragathi. She is very passionate about healthy living and improving physical, emotional and mental health through the practice of Yoga, Pranayama and Meditation. She is actively involved in the “Whole Health Initiative” at the VA Medical Center. Her other interests include reading, singing, traveling, community work, hiking and yoga.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Al-Bawardy is a consultant gastroenterologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and adjunct assistant professor of medicine at Yale University specializing in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). He earned his M.D. from the George Washington University. After medical school, he completed an internal medicine residency, gastroenterology fellowship and a specialized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr. Al-Bawardy’s interest is in medical education and has received multiple teaching awards. His research interests revolve around clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and medical education.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Tauseef Ali is a gastroenterologist and specialist in inflammatory bowel disease. He works as a consultant at SSM Health Saint Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma. Dr. Ali is also the medical executive Director of SSM Health Digestive Institute and the Director of the Crohn’s and Colitis Center. Dr. Ali is a clinical associate professor at the University of Oklahoma and adjunct faculty at Oklahoma State University.
He is an active member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, serving as co-chair of its Patient Education Committee. He is a fellow member of the American Gastroenterology Association and the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr. Ali also serves as the director of professional development activities of the South Asian IBD Alliance (SAIA). He has previously served as the Governor of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) for the Oklahoma Chapter and as chairperson of the Public Relations Committee. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the American College of Gastroenterology Institute. Dr. Ali also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma County Medical Society.
Dr. Ali has received numerous awards for his exceptional leadership and significant contributions to advocacy and public education. He received the ACG Freshman Governor Award in 2018 and the ACG Senior Governor Award in 2022. SSM Health awarded him the Saint Luke Award in 2022 for his contributions and leadership at SSM Health Ministry. In 2023, he received the American College of Gastroenterology Community Service Award. In 2024, he was honored with the Journal Record Health Care Hero Award and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Health Care Hero Award. Dr. Ali is the author of Crohn’s and Colitis for Dummies, a book by Wiley Publishers. He is also very active on social media, regularly tweeting through his educational Twitter account (@ibdtweets) and moderating the international IBD Journal club on social media (@ibdclub).
Categories: Clinical Career, Private Practice, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, MD, MPH
I obtained my medical school training at the Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Pondicherry, India, and subsequently obtained by a Masters in Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore. I moved to Wisconsin to complete my internal medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital where I joined as faculty in the GI division in July 2010. I practice mainly at the MGH Crohn’s and Colitis center of which I am also medical co-director. Having benefited from inspiring mentors through my career, I am also committed to being a mentor to trainees and junior faculty. I split my time between patient care and clinical research and am an active member of committees in the ACG, AGA, and CCFA. I am also on the Editorial Board of several of our society journals including Gastroenterology, and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. My clinical area of interest is Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and my research focuses on genetics and environmental influences on IBD, risk stratification, prediction of outcomes, epidemiology, and clinical trials.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Research Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Mohammad Bilal is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus where he also serves as Director of Third Space Endoscopy and Bariatric Endoscopy as well as the Associate Program Director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship. Prior to this role, he was an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota and an advanced endoscopist at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He was also the Associate Program Director of the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Fellowship program. He graduated medical school from the Army Medical College in Pakistan, and then went on to complete his internal medicine residency at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, gastroenterology & hepatology fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch where he also served as chief gastroenterology fellow. He graduated from advanced endoscopy fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Dr. Bilal is passionate about medical education and completed a formal scholars-in-education program during his fellowship. He has extensive experience in gastroenterology focused research and scholarly work in medical education. His clinical research focuses on outcomes research in advanced endoscopic procedures, pancreatobiliary disorders and endoscopic resection. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed publications and over a 250 abstracts. He serves on national committees with the ACG and ASGE and received the ASGE Diversity Research Award in 2018. Dr. Bilal has been recognized with several presidential abstracts and awards at various GI meetings including the ACG and DDW meetings. He was also awarded the Healio Gastroenterology Social Media Disruptive Innovator Award for 2021. Currently, Dr. Bilal also serves as the Chair of the ACG Training Committee.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Bosworth received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in 1995 where he graduated magna cum laude and wrote a thesis entitled “The Public Perception of Doctors in the Early Roman Empire, and is the Chief Medical Officer of the NYU Langone Health System. He was awarded his medical doctorate from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1999 and performed cardiac transplant immunology research. He subsequently completed internship and residency training in Internal Medicine in 2002 at New York Presbyterian Hospital: Columbia-Presbyterian Center where he was Chief Medical Resident. He then completed his Fellowship in Gastroenterology in 2006 at New York Presbyterian Hospital: Weill Cornell Center. He joined the Gastroenterology Division as a faculty member in the Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at that time and has rapidly become a nationally recognized expert in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. He has published numerous articles, abstracts and book chapters, and been the site or lead investigator on many multi-center clinical trials. He served as the Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program and an Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program. In 2016, Dr. Bosworth changed institutions and became the Chief of Medicine at NYU Langone’s Main Campus. He currently sits on both the Research and Legislative & Public Policy Committees for the American College of Gastroenterology. He is a past-President of the New York Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dr. Bosworth is a Fellow of the ACG and the ACG Governor for Manhattan.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Jason Brown is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Digestive Diseases at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine and completed both his Internal Medicine residency and Digestive Diseases fellowship there. Jason practices general GI and is interested in medical education content development and delivery. He is active in medical education with leadership roles at the medical school, residency, and fellowship levels. He is currently Fellowship Site Director at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta’s community safety net hospital. He is drawn to practice there by the fast-paced and diverse nature of its clinical work, the service-oriented mission of the hospital, and the hospital’s tradition of excellence in medical education. He’s a proud graduate of the University of Georgia and enjoys spending free time with his wife and vivacious toddler. His hobbies include Cajun and Creole cooking, reading widely, finding new music, arguing about college football, and appreciating automobiles of all vintages. He is an admittedly bandwagon fan of both the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta United.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Carol A. Burke, MD, FACG, FASGE, FACP
Dr. Carol A. Burke is the Director of the Center for Colon Polyp and Cancer Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic. She has been a staff member in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Cleveland Clinic since graduating from her fellowship there in 1993. She holds a joint appointment in the Taussig Cancer Center and the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. She is internationally known for her expertise in the inherited colon cancer syndromes and the prevention of colorectal neoplasia. Her area of clinical and research interests include the prevention of colorectal neoplasia both in sporadic individuals and those with the inherited colorectal cancer syndromes. She has received funding for her research through the NCI, NIH, USDA and industry. She has been involved in the education of medical students, residents and fellows since 1991 and has developed and coordinated the digestive disease curriculum for trainees in the in and outpatient setting in the Department. She has authored or co-authored over 110 publications. She is a visiting professor, and invited speaker at national and international conferences on the prevention of colorectal neoplasia and the inherited colon cancer syndromes. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the American College of Gastroenterology and the Board of the Ohio Gastroenterology Society. She is current president of the American College of Gastroenterology, past president of the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer. She has been an associate editor for The American Journal of Gastroenterology and is a reviewer for many journals including Gut, Endoscopy, Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology, to name a few. I chose my current career because I love the stimulation of working in an academic setting with trainees and individuals in other specialties, in particular, to collaborate on research. I also like the recognition of a large institution which allows flexibility in work style, opportunities for program development and national leadership.Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Audrey H. Calderwood, MD, MS, FACG
Dr. Calderwood is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine and The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and a faculty member of the Section of Gastroenterology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She received her medical degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine then completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Chicago and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by gastroenterology fellowship at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Calderwood integrates her clinical interests in general gastroenterology, high-risk cancer syndromes and patient-centered care with her passion for health services research. Her research focuses on appropriate utilization of and quality around colon cancer screening and surveillance. She is the recipient of an NIH Career Development Award (K08), R03, and R21 grants and currently leads a large multi-center trial comparing colonoscopy vs. FIT for surveillance in older adults. She is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and has served on the Practice Parameters, Women in Gastroenterology, and Research Committees. She is also an active member of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. She understands the intricacies of managing a family with another academic physician and their two school aged children and tries to prioritize personal well-being.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Bani Chander Roland is the director of Gastrointestinal Motility at Lenox Hill Hospital and for the Northwell Health System. Dr. Roland’s clinical interests include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal motility disorders, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), small bowel motility disorders, colonic and pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Roland received her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and completed her medical training at New York University School of Medicine. During her Gastroenterology/clinical research fellowship at Yale New Haven Hospital, she became actively engaged in research in Neurogastroenterology and Motility, with a particular interest in studying the pathophysiological defects contributing to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). In addition to her GI fellowship, she received sub-specialty training in Motility and Neurogastroenterology at Temple University School of Medicine through the ANMS fellowship. After completing her training, she joined the division of Gastroenterology and the center for Neurogastroenterology and Motility at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute.Prior to joining the Northwell Health system, Dr. Roland served as the Director of Motility and Neurogastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital. She has presented her research at numerous scientific meetings and is part of several professional advisory committees. Throughout her career, she has also demonstrated leadership in addressing the issues of women in academic medicine and has a strong interest in medical education. Her research interests include the pathophysiological mechanisms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and the role of the gut microbiome in gastrointestinal disorders, particularly in motility and functional bowel disorders. Dr. Roland is focusing on the role of the microbiota in small intestinal dysmotility and small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndromes. She hopes to translate fundamental and multi-faceted information about SIBO and the microbiome into practical applications to improve patient care.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Lin Chang, MD is a Professor of Medicine and Vice-Chief of the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She serves as Program Director of the UCLA Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, Co-Director of the G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience at UCLA and Director of the Clinical Studies and Database Core of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center. Dr. Chang’s clinical expertise is in disorders of gut brain interactions/functional gastrointestinal disorders. Her research focuses on brain-gut interactions underlying irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), specifically, the pathophysiology of IBS related to stress, early life adversity, sex differences, genetic and epigenetic factors, and gut microbiome and the treatment of IBS. She is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). Dr. Chang is a member of the Rome Foundation Board of Directors. She previously served as President of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) and Clinical Research Councilor of the AGA Governing Board.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Research Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Laura Chiu is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Department of Medicine. Her clinical practice encompasses the comprehensive spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases and non-transplant hepatology. Her research interests are in healthcare disparities, colon cancer prevention and surveillance, and quality improvement. She has previously worked on studies related to early-onset colon cancer evaluation and NAFLD within the Framingham Heart Study cohort. She was a 2017 Emerging Liver Scholar and 2018 Resident/Fellow Ambassador in AASLD. She was also a chosen recipient of the 2021 ACG Young Physician Leadership Scholars Program.
Categories: Academics, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Sita Chokhavatia is affiliated with the Valley Hospital; Valley Medical Group/Gastroenterology, in Paramus, New Jersey. Her major interests are in clinical gastroenterology and medical education, specifically Geriatric Gastroenterology (Geri GI), gastrointestinal dysmotility, and GERD. As an educator for over 25 years, she has played an active role as advisor and mentor to trainees and junior colleagues on faculty and in practice. She is an active member of the ACG since 1996 and has served on several ACG Committees: Practice Parameters, International Affairs, Women in Gastroenterology, Clinical Vignettes Abstract Review and the Public Relations Committees.
Categories: Clinical Career, Work Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Reezwana Chowdhury is a graduate from Wellesley College where she received a BA in Neuroscience and graduated with an honors thesis, member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. She completed her medical school training at NYU School of Medicine where she herself was inspired to be a Gastroenterologist by her mentor, Dr. Francois. She went on to Baylor College of Medicine for her Internal Medicine Residency and her Gastroenterology Fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital. She has published journal articles, poster abstracts and book chapters. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who specializes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and has mentored medical students and residents. Her interests are in General GI including celiac disease and Liver diseases.
Categories: Academics and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Greg Cohen is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Northwestern University. He completed his undergraduate education at Cornell University and attended medical school in his home state at the University of Maryland. He moved to Chicago to complete residency and fellowship training at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago respectively. At the University of Chicago, Dr. Cohen completed a 4 year research fellowship, investigating Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor signaling in colon cancer under the mentorship of Dr. Marc Bissonnette. One of the most difficult decisions of his career was the decision to leave behind a career in basic research for a career as a clinician educator. He has been actively involved with educating medical students and GI fellows, and has received a number of teaching awards. He has a busy clinical practice in General Gastroenterology with a special focus in IBD. Dr. Cohen is married and has 3 children.
Categories: Clinical Career, Education Career, Private Practice, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Ebubekir S. Daglilar, MD
Program Director, Gastroenterology Fellowship
Assistant Professor of Medicine
West Virginia University – Charleston Campus
Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC)
CAMC Institute for Academic Medicine
Dr. Daglilar received his medical degree from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey. He completed his IM residency at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center-Tufts University in Boston, MA. Then, he completed his Gastroenterology fellowship training at Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, LA. Following his training, he worked at University of Missouri, Columbia as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Associate Program Director of Gastroenterology Fellowship. He moved to Charleston Area Medical Center – West Virginia University as founding Gastroenterology Fellowship Program Director. He is an active member of the American College of Physicians (ACP), American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). He has a strong passion for the education of residents and fellows. He focuses on general gastroenterology. Dr. Daglilar has published several articles (>60) and abstracts (>100) with his colleagues and/or mentees. He is also actively involved in mentoring fellows, residents, and medical students in both clinical and research environments.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Amaninder Dhaliwal, MD, is currently an Assistant Professor at University of South Carolina School of Medicine and an advanced endoscopist at Mcleod Regional Medical Center. He is also a trained internist, gastroenterologist and a transplant hepatologist. He did his internal medicine training at NYU Langone Medical Center, gastroenterology and transplant hepatology training at University of Nebraska Medical Center. He went on to pursue his advanced endoscopy fellowship at University of South Florida and Moffitt Cancer Center. He is currently a member of the “Training Committee” in American College of Gastroenterology. He is also serving as a committee member in other national and international gastroenterology societies. His research interests include quality related clinical outcomes, hepato-biliary, advanced therapeutic EUS and ERCP, pancreatic disorders including pancreatic cancer, hereditary pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis and other pancreatic tumors. His academic interests include teaching and mentoring medical students, residents and fellows in achieving their future career and academic goals. He has extensively published in several reputed peer reviewed journals both nationally and internationally. He also serves as a peer reviewer for several reputed national and international GI journals.
Categories: Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Adam C. Ehrlich, MD, MPH, FACG
Dr. Ehrlich is a professor of medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He currently serves as the Chief for the Section of Gastroenterology. His clinical and research interests focus on care of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) and is the Medical Director of the Temple IBD Program. He serves as the fellowship program director for the gastroenterology fellowship program at Temple and has an interest in education for trainees in the area of inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Ehrlich is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology’s Training Committee and serves on the local chapter board, as the co-chair of the Philadelphia Healthcare Professionals Engagement Committee, and on the Professional Membership Committee for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation where he is also actively involved in patient education initiatives and fundraising. Starting in October 2024, he began a term as the Governor for Eastern PA for the American College of Gastroenterology. He completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at Temple University Hospital where he served as chief fellow during his final year. Prior to this, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY and earned his medical degree and a Master’s in public health from Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Swapna Gayam is currently an Associate professor of Medicine at West Virginia University school of medicine. She received her medical degree from the armed forces Medical College in India. After that, she pursued her Internal Medicine Residency and GI Fellowship at West Virginia University, where she currently is on faculty. She is actively involved in training GI fellows, mentoring residents and teaching medical students. Her clinical interests are General Gastroenterology, Irritable bowel syndrome. Interests include sustainability in gastroenterology and medicine.
Categories: Academics, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Mohit Girotra is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Therapeutic Endoscopist at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle WA. He is also Associate Professor at Washington State University/Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine, WA. Prior to this, he was an Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in Miami, Florida. He completed his medical school at the Christian Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana, India before joining the Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Internal Medicine Residency program where he served for an additional year as Chief Resident. During that time, he became invested with activities of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and served as Co-Chair for ACP-Chief Residents Association of Baltimore. He then completed a Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where he was also nominated as the Chief Fellow. He served as GI faculty at UAMS, before pursuing a therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. He has served ACG on various committees including Training; Practice Parameters; Digital Communications and Publications, and also as a Co-Director of the ACG 2nd Year Fellows Course in 2016. He is extremely passionate about research, having won several research recognitions including “Mendeloff award” and “ACP Maryland Chapter research award,” and extramural funding to support his clinical research.
Categories: Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Aaron Goldberg, MD, is a native Arizonan who trained at the University of Arizona for undergraduate and medical degrees, followed by three years in Boston for residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He returned to Phoenix for his GI fellowship and has remained on staff at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. His clinical interests are broad, including Barrett’s esophagus treatment, endoscopic ultrasound, and endoscopic mucosal resection. Dr. Goldberg predominantly focuses on clinical practice and trainee education. He is a core faculty member for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix’s GI fellowship program and also teaches medical students in their GI block. He is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, currently serving on the Educational Affairs and Training committees. His hobbies include cooking and trying new foods, music, movies, and board games. His wife, Andrea, is a primary care physician and they have two children.
Categories: Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Yesenia Greeff is the GI fellowship program director at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate campus in Springfield, MA. In her education leadership roles in IM and GI she has created and led implicit bias trainings for faculty involved in recruitment and microaggression bystander trainings for residents and faculty and co-founded the Social Justice Track for the residents’ Academic Half Day. She serves on the Women in GI and Training committees of the American College of Gastroenterology. She lives in Northampton, MA with her husband and two children, and clinical interests are IBD, hepatology, GI disease in pregnancy, and trauma-informed GI care.
Categories: Education Career and Work-Life Balance
Dr. Grigoriy Gurvits is a Clinical Professor of medicine in the division of Gastroenterology at New York University School of Medicine. He received his internal medicine training at St. Vincent’s Medical Center of New York Medical College in New York City, and finished his gastroenterology fellowship at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. His interests include clinical research and clinical care of the patients in general gastroenterology, including gastrointestinal bleeding disorders, esophageal disease, advances in endoscopic procedures, and preventative medicine. He is actively involved with academic teaching of gastroenterology fellows, medical residents, and students on the hospital wards while maintaining a busy clinical practice. He is an ad-hoc reviewer for various gastroenterology journals and a contributing author to a number of peer-reviewed publications in the medical literature.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Private Practice, Research Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Christina Ha completed her internal medicine residency and fellowship at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine and then received additional training as the Present-Levison Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Fellow at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Section and Associate Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic Arizona. She is also very involved in IBD related trainee educational initiatives and has served on multiple committees within the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association. She has served on the editorial boards for the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, and Education Career
Dr. Christine Hachem is a professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at Saint Louis University and starting in September 2024 she will be on staff at Intermountain Hospital in Utah. She did her internal medicine residency at Washington University in Saint Louis and her fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine. Her clinical interests include motility disorders cystic fibrosis, and esophageal disease. Her academic career has been focused on the clinical educator track. Dr. Hachem has been actively involved with ACG and American College of Physicians at the national level. She is part of a dual physician marriage and is balancing the joys of work with children.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
I graduated with a B.S. from the University of Michigan and an M.D. from the University of Illinois. I was at the University of Chicago from my Residency in Medicine until the end of 2013. I completed a GI Fellowship in 1982 and rose through the academic ranks to become Professor of Medicine and subsequently was awarded the Joseph B. Kirsner Chair in Medicine and was designated Chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition where I served from 2000-2013. I was then recruited as the Medical Director of the Digestive Health Center at Northwestern Medicine and Professor of Medicine in the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine where I have been since January 1, 2014. My career interests have been Clinical Research, Clinical Care and Administration. I have been involved in Academic Medicine through both the ACG (Editor of Nature Reviews and Board of Trustees, President) and the AGA (Chairs of IMIBD and Clinical Practice, and Governing Board for Clinical Research). I was a member of the Subspecialty Board of Gastroenterology for the ABIM and have served on the FDA advisory panel for GI and as Chair of the Panel. I am a member and ex-Chairman of the International Organization for IBD (IOIBD). My clinical research has been related to epidemiology and therapeutics for IBD. I am a busy, practicing clinician and clinical trialist. I have always enjoyed involvement in Academic medicine and leadership in both my own medical center and in National/International Organized Medicine. My greatest pleasure is in mentoring and the development of future leaders in our field.
Categories: Academics
Dr. Lucinda Harris is currently Professor of Medicine, Mayo School of Medicine and Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. She graduated from the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at the New York Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University and her fellowship in Gastroenterology & Hepatology at The New York Hospital /Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She had an academic practice in Gastroenterology & Hepatology 17 years before moving to her current position in 2004. At Mayo she has been a past Co-Director of the Motility Group and has led a patient support group there for IBS. She is a current member of the Gastroenterology Fellowship committee and serves as the Department Education coordinator for Gastroenterology supervising visiting GI fellows and medical students. She has actively been involved in mentoring medical students, residents and fellows over the years.Professionally, she is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association as well as the American College of Internal Medicine. She is also a member of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society. Her special clinical and research interests are in IBS, chronic constipation and pelvic floor disorders as well as celiac disease. She has also written and lectured extensively on these topics. Dr Harris was appointed in 2021 to the Rome Committee-Age, Gender, Women and the Patient Experience. She is also a member of the ACG -GI research committee.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
A native of Philadelphia, I attended medical school at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, followed by residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship training at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. I have always enjoyed teaching and was fortunate to have had many opportunities throughout the course of my various stages of training to pursue this passion. I currently serve on the voluntary clinical faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine, where I regularly participate in teaching gastroenterology fellows by supervising both luminal disease and hepatology clinics, as well as performing daily rounds with residents and fellows, and help to guide the development of endoscopic skills by supervising endoscopic procedures. I have been fortunate to find a unique hybrid of clinical practice, as I am both a private practitioner as well as a clinician educator for the Division of Digestive Diseases. I have several research interests including small bowel diseases and capsule endoscopy, as well as complementary and alternative therapies in gastrointestinal and hepatic disease. Having authored the new chapter in Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease entitled “Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” I have been very interested in educating both patients and clinicians about the data detailing the usefulness of complementary and alternative therapies, as well as the importance of careful regulation of CAM therapies. Stemming from this interest, I am also a certified clinical hypnotherapist, as this modality has proven very useful in the treatment of functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. I am a member of many local and national medical societies, and I am the Past President of the New Haven County Medical Association and Past President of the Connecticut State Medical Society. I currently serve as a member of the ACG Board of Trustees which is a true privilege and professional highlight. I truly feel fortunate to practice medicine, as it affords me the opportunity to make a difference in patients’ lives and learn something new every day.
Categories: Academics, Private Practice, Clinical Career, and Education Career
Pegah Hosseini-Carroll, MD, FACG
Dr. Hosseini-Carroll received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Tulane University in New Orleans. She completed her medical training at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2016 as an assistant professor. She is the associate program director for the Digestive Diseases fellowship program with interests in inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer screening, and endoscopy. She has a passion for education and considers herself an advocate for all trainees. Her enthusiasm for endoscopy and education is reflected in her role as course director for both the surgical endoscopy rotation and a procedural gastroenterology course for medical students. Dr. Hosseini-Carroll is the secretary-treasurer for the Mississippi Gastroenterology Society and is slated to serve as president in 2023. She is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). She serves on the ACG Women in GI committee and the ASGE Diversity and Inclusion committee. In 2018, she completed the year-long Leadership Education and Diversity program through ASGE.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Sunanda V. Kane, MD, MSPH, MACG
Dr. Sunanda Kane received a Master’s Degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics before going to medical school. She was a research assistant to Dr. Stephen Hanauer helping with clinical drug trials and epidemiologic studies, which was what got her interested in IBD. She trained at Rush Medical College and did her Fellowship training at the University of Chicago. She was on faculty there for 8 years then moved to Mayo Clinic. She is currently a Professor of Medicine and has always practiced in an academic setting with fellows, residents and students rotating with her in clinic and on wards. She is active with patient care, clinical research as well as administrative and leadership duties within the Division of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, the ACG, and the CCFA. She also serves in editorial positions for several journals. Her areas of research interest include gender issues and medication compliance. She now spends a good part of her time with Quality issues including Safety and Patient Experience.
Categories: Academics
I received the Medical Degree from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore in India. After obtaining graduate training in the United Kingdom, I moved to the United States and completed Internal medicine and Chief residency from University of Connecticut. I completed the gastroenterology fellowship from the University of Utah after which I joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. I run the hereditary gastrointestinal cancer clinic at Huntsman Cancer Institute, Utah and sees patients with familial cancer risk. I have also supervised many GI fellows in general gastroenterology clinic for many years. My research interests include clinical and translational studies of colon polyps, sessile serrated colon polyps, colon cancer prevention and in high-risk familial colon cancer. During my fellowship I received pilot grant from ACG and later received NIH funding to study biomarkers of serrated polyps. I am also running multiple clinical trials in hereditary colon cancer. I consider mentorship as a vital component in career development and would be happy to guide trainees.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Research Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Tossapol Kerdsirichairat, MD, FACG, FASGE
Dr. Tossapol Kerdsirichairat, MD, FACG, FASGE, is an internationally recognized academic interventional endoscopist known for his innovation, leadership, and mentorship in the field of gastroenterology. A U.S.-trained physician originally from Thailand, he completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Minnesota, followed by a Gastroenterology fellowship at the University of Michigan and an Advanced Endoscopy fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Kerdsirichairat’s early academic career in the United States included pivotal work at Geisinger, where he served as an advanced endoscopist and director of the Geisinger Lynch program. Under his leadership, Geisinger became recognized as a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence and achieved national impact through one of the largest population-based whole exome sequencing programs, which led to the identification and clinical management of over 5,000 participants with medically actionable genetic results.
Following his return to Thailand, Dr. Kerdsirichairat joined Bumrungrad International Hospital, a globally respected institution serving over 1.1 million patients annually from more than 190 countries. At Bumrungrad, he introduced multiple advanced and groundbreaking techniques, positioning the center as a regional leader in gastrointestinal innovation. He became the first physician in Southeast Asia to perform transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) for gastroesophageal reflux disease and the first in Thailand to introduce the full-thickness resection device (FTRD). In the field of metabolic endoscopy, he was among the first in the world to successfully combine endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) with semaglutide, achieving a remarkable 44% total weight loss—a clinical milestone comparable to surgical gastric bypass outcomes.
Beyond procedural innovation, Dr. Kerdsirichairat spearheaded Thailand’s first high-risk GI cancer screening program, focusing on early detection of pancreatic, gastric, esophageal, and colorectal cancers. His expertise in advanced therapeutic endoscopy led to landmark achievements, including record-setting early-stage cancer diagnoses and successful endoscopic drainage for pancreatic fluid collections in critically ill patients. His quality-driven approach helped Bumrungrad become the first center in Thailand and one of only a few in Asia to receive ASGE’s Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program (EURP) designation.
Dr. Kerdsirichairat’s academic contributions include impactful research published in premier journals, covering topics such as TPIAT for recurrent pancreatitis, feasibility of hydrogel spacers for pancreatic cancer radiotherapy, long-term outcomes of endoscopic vs surgical therapy for early gastric cancer, and validation of ESD in North American populations. He has received multiple teaching awards and remains actively involved in education as adjunct faculty at two international medical schools in Thailand.
Dr. Kerdsirichairat is an active member of ACG, ASGE, and AGA, contributing to numerous national committees, including the ACG Training Committee, ACG International Committee, DDW Scientific Program, AGA Young Delegates, and ASGE Member Engagement and Diversity Committee. As a clinician, educator, researcher, and mentor, he embodies the ideals of global leadership and academic excellence in gastroenterology.
Categories: Academics, Private Practice, Clinical Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Jami Kinnucan, MD, is a Senior Associate Consultant in the Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to relocating to the Mayo Clinic in 2022, she was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Michigan and severed as Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Education as well as Association Program Director for Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship training.
Dr. Kinnucan has expertise in the evaluation and management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as in the management of complex cases of microscopic colitis. In addition, she has expertise in the evaluation and management of patients who have undergone ileoanal pouch anastomosis (IPAA or J-pouch) and who are currently pregnant with IBD.
Dr. Kinnucan is frequently an invited speaker a regional and national conferences talking on the diagnosis and management of IBD. She has research interests in the use of cannabis in IBD, anxiety and depression in IBD as well as looking outcomes in at risk patient populations, including Chaldean Americans, with IBD.
Dr. Kinnucan is dedicated to both patient and provider education and the advancement of women in the field of Gastroenterology. She started the Women in GI Committee at the University of Michigan, currently serves as Co-Chair for Women in IBD Task Force for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation National Scientific Advisory Committee and a member of the American College of Gastroenterology Women in Gastroenterology Committee. She also serves as a medical editor for SELF Magazine. To stay up to date on some of the latest education in IBD, follow her on Twitter at @ibdgijami.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
After finishing undergraduate work at the University of Oklahoma I worked in the medical field as a Medical Technician for a few years before making the decision to apply for medical school. I then attended Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans where I not only completed my medical school training but stayed on through my residency and GI fellowship. The thought of private practice had always appealed to me and I began practice in a multi-specialty group in the foothills of the Blueridge Mountains in Hickory, North Carolina. Three years into practice the other gastroenterologists who joined me separated from the multi-specialty group and formed our own independent practice in gastroenterology here in Hickory. The practice has thrived as we have worked through the many decision points involved in business management including contract negotiations with insurance companies, office management and the always difficult decision of when to add a new associate. We eventually added an endoscopy ASC to our unit which is entirely owned by us as well. We currently are a practice of 8 physicians.With our sons moving on toward college and careers of their own, I have finally allowed more time to devote to my involvement in the ACG. This has included being elected North Carolina Governor. I have also been very involved with the political aspect of medicine, especially at the state and federal level and am serving on several committees by request of the North Carolina Medical Society. I was a pastchair of the ACG National Affairs Committee, which is an obvious area of great passion that I have enjoyed.
Categories: Private Practice and General Mentoring Advice
As a gastroenterologist and an Associate Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital, Dr. Kutait has experience mentoring GI fellows. He completed an Internal Medicine residency at Wayne State University, servicing as Chief Resident, followed by a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Since joining Henry Ford Health in 2013, Dr. Kutait has fostered a hybrid practice blending academic and clinical interests, with a focus on luminal GI. Dr. Kutait is an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University and Michigan State University, and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, and currently serving on the ACG Trainees’ Committee. He has guided GI fellows through their training and successful transition into practice. Outside of medical practice, he enjoys spending time with his three children and connecting with family and friends.
Categories: Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Throughout my career I have been extensively involved in post-graduate medical education and training of residents and fellows. I have served on the ACG Training Committee and on the AGA Future Trends Committee and have been admitted into the AGA Academy of Educators. I am a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and have the honor and privilege of leading our fellowship program and enjoy teaching such talented and inspiring fellows. Together we strive to provide the best educational experience for our fellows to become outstanding gastroenterologists and future leaders in academic medicine. The greatest rewards for me personally have been as a career mentor for fellows and seeing them blossom successfully in their respective careers. My clinical subspecialty areas of focus are inflammatory bowel disease and general gastroenterology.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Lisa Malter received her medical degree from Rosalind Franklin University/Chicago Medical School. She completed her internal medicine internship and residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and went on to complete a Gastroenterology fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Malter is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, and Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic at Bellevue Hospital Center as well as the Director of Education for the IBD Center at NYU Langone Health. Dr. Malter oversees the gastroenterology advanced fellowship in IBD and the development of educational courses, conferences, and curricula to ensure state-of-the-art education and training in the diagnosis and treatment of this very complex disease. She created “IBD 101: A Primer for First-Year Gastroenterology Fellows” in collaboration with the ACG which utilizes standardized patients in IBD education. Dr. Malter has pioneered access to care for the underserved IBD patient population. In addition to her work in gastroenterology, Dr. Malter serves as an NYU School of Medicine Violet Society Advisor, mentoring and providing academic advising and coaching to over 50 students as well as serving as a faculty mentor to some of NYU’s Internal Medicine residents. Dr. Malter’s research interests include IBD education, IBD in the underserved, and patient safety. She has published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and The American Journal of Gastroenterology and Crohn’s & Colitis 360. She serves as Editor for the ACG Universe and an Associate Editor for Crohn’s & Colitis 360 journal where she has created and launched the journal’s fellow initiatives. She is a member of several committees including the ACG Educational Affairs Committee, the ACG Training Committee and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Healthcare Professional Engagement Committee for the Greater New York Chapter and is a faculty advisor for its Fellows’ Education Committee. She previously served as the lead faculty for the Visiting IBD Observership Program for the Professional Education Committee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s National Scientific Affairs Committee and served on the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Women in IBD Task Force.
She currently resides in NYC with her husband and three children ages 11, 14 and 16.
Categories: Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Professor of Medicine and Director of Endoscopy at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her medical degree from Temple University. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Temple University, followed by a 3-year fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Virginia, where she was chief fellow. While at UVA, she earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Research. She stayed on for an additional year of advanced endoscopy training at UVA, where she was trained in ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, deep enteroscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection, and other advanced techniques.Dr. Maranki’s clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary conditions, GI oncology, enteral stenting, endoscopic mucosal resection, GI bleeding, advanced imaging, and new technologies. Her research interests include GI bleeding, emerging technologies, and endoscopic innovation. She is active in clinical research, and has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications, as well as numerous abstracts and book chapters. She has served on the Publications Committee of the ACG, and is currently on the Editorial Board of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. She enjoys mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows in both clinical and research environments.
Categories: Academics, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Malini Mathur is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at Temple University. She received her medical degree from Boston University. She completed her internal medicine residency at New York University and her fellowship at New York University where she had advanced training in Endoscopic Ultrasound. Her clinical interests include: GI oncology, pancreatic cysts and innovative uses of Endoscopic Ultrasound. She is on the Clinical Educator track and is the Associate Director of the GI fellowship program. She is in academic medicine because of her commitment to teaching, interdisciplinary care of patients, as well as the work life balance it offers. Dr. Mathur is active in the Women’s Committee of ACG. She is part of a dual physician family and has two young children.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, and Work-Life Integration
Dr. Avantika Mishra currently works as a Gastroenterologist with Florida Digestive Health Specialists, a large multi-pod GI private practice in Sarasota, FL. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and graduated with Honors. Afterwards she briefly ventured into the consulting world, working at Deloitte Consulting, LLP in Washington, DC. Dr. Mishra then returned back to her home state of NJ to pursue her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and subsequently completed Internal Medicine training at Medstar Georgetown University. She completed her sub-specialty training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, where she served as chief fellow in her final year. Dr. Mishra received a clinical training award through the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society to pursue motility training at Temple University Hospital during her fellowship. Her current practice encompasses all aspects of gastroenterology and hepatology with special interest in cancer prevention, esophageal and reflux disorders, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease and women’s health. Dr. Mishra’s personal interests include international traveling, cycling, tennis, and theater. She is looking forward to helping trainees at all levels navigate their career goals in GI.
Categories: Private Practice, Clinical Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
I qualified from Bristol University in 1988 and trained in Gastroenterology at Leeds’ General Infirmary, UK under the mentorship of Professor Axon. I obtained a PhD and Masters in Public Health from the University of Leeds. I also received training in Health Economics through a UK Medical Research Council Fellowship at the University of York. I was appointed Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Birmingham in 2001 and then moved to McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada to be the first recipient of the Richard Hunt/AstraZeneca Chair of Gastroenterology in 2004.I have published over 400 peer-reviewed articles and 21 book chapters. My main research interests included population based GI research, prevention of GI cancer, H. pylori, management of dyspepsia, gastro-esophageal reflux disease and fecal transplants in inflammatory bowel disease. My clinical expertise mirrors my academic interests. I am Editor of the Cochrane Gut Review Group and I am a previous Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Gastroenterology. I currently am PI of a Canadian Research network that is evaluating whether diet and/or the microbiome impact on IBD or IBS and related psychological disorders. I developed a passion for research during my Bachelor of Science Degree in Anatomy where research was a heavy part of the curriculum. I find an academic career rewarding, as the working week is so varied. I have the opportunity to both care for patients and conduct research projects.
Categories: Academics and Research Career
Dr. Narayanan is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida and the Associate Program Director for the gastroenterology fellowship program there. She completed her undergraduate studies, medical school, internal medicine residency, and gastroenterology fellowship at USF as well, and was recruited to the faculty to further their small bowel program with her particular interest in celiac disease and obscure GI bleeding. Dr. Narayanan is particularly passionate about medical education and mentorship and has been fortunate to take on a variety of roles at the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels, including serving as a career advisor for the USF Morsani College of Medicine. She was also selected to attend the WGO’s Train the Trainers course in Rabat, Morocco in 2025 and serves on national committees with the ACG and ASGE with a particular focus on training and education. When she is not working, Dr. Narayanan is likely to be found at the Indian classical dance studio she runs with her mother.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Michelle S. Nazareth, MD, FACG
Dr. Michelle Nazareth graduated from St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in India. Following this, she completed her residency at Rochester General Hospital, University of Rochester, NY. She then pursued and completed her fellowship in Gastroenterology at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Dr. Nazareth has been working with the Kaiser Permanente Medical group in a large multispecialty group practice in California. She is a general gastroenterologist with a focus in inflammatory bowel diseases and advanced endoscopic procedures such as ERCP and EMR. She has always enjoyed teaching and mentoring. Though in private practice, she is always interested in learning and being challenged. Throughout her career, Dr. Nazareth has found several ways to pursue this interest. She currently serves on the Training Committee and the Patient Care Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology. In addition, she has accepted a role of Assistant Professor of Medicine at North State University where she has the opportunity to teach medical students. In addition, Dr. Nazareth has been involved in the Kaiser Permanente Gastroenterology fellowship program where in she gets to teach and mentor gastroenterology fellows. Dr. Nazareth feels very privileged to be able to practice medicine and make a difference in the lives of the people she meets. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, art work and learning new languages. With this unique opportunity that ACG offers, she looks forward to mentoring and working with you as you transition into the next exciting phase of your career.
Categories: Private Practice, Clinical Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Elizabeth Paine is the Deputy Associate Chief of Staff for Specialty Care at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center and Associate Professor and Core Internal Medicine faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She received her B.S. in Biology from the University of the South (Sewanee) and her M.D. at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She then completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Digestive Diseases Fellowship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is actively involved in the American College of Gastroenterology, where she was selected to be in the first cohort of the ACG Young Leadership Scholarship Program/Early Career Leadership Program and served as one of two Co-Directors for this program. She served on the Training Committee for the American College of Gastroenterology for 4 years and was selected to Co-direct the ACG Second Year Fellows’ Course in 2022. She now serves on the Educational Affairs Committee. She has also served as the President of the Mississippi GI Society in the past few years.
Categories: Academic, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Brijesh Patel is an assistant professor at University of South Florida in Tampa and Associate Program Director for the Gastroenterology fellowship. He graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship at University of South Florida. He went on to complete his advanced endoscopy fellowship at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Patel is passionate about medical education, leadership development for faculty and fellows and is currently involved with national colon cancer screening clinical trial. He is also the Deputy Chief of Medicine at the VA in Tampa and serves as a site Director for GME at the VA. Dr. Patel’s research areas include advanced endoscopy, GI curriculum development and national colon cancer screening. He is an active member with ACG as a committee member and locally with Florida Gastroenterology society (FGS) serving an instructor for hands on training sessions. Dr. Patel enjoys travelling, gardening, and enjoys hiking and biking.
Categories: Academic, Research Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Anca I. Pop, MD, MBA, AGAF, FASGE
Dr. Anca Pop is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist currently working in the Pharma Industry as the Associate Vice President, Global & U.S. Medical Affairs Gastroenterology at Eli Lilly. This follows previous appointments as Global Medical Unit Head Gastroenterology in the Immunology Franchise at Takeda and Head of U.S. Gastroenterology Divisions at UCB and Sanofi. Dr. Pop has academic experience as Chief of Gastroenterology Division at James H. Quillen VAMC, Clinical Assistant 2001-2003 and then Associate Professor at James H. Quillen VAMC 2003-2005. She was Chairperson for the Research & Development Committee, James H. Quillen VAMC 11/2001 through 10/2002 and the Hepatitis C Lead Clinician at Mountain Home VAMC/VISN9 (VHA Directive 2001-2009). She received the Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Award-Executive Career Field Appraisal in January 2005. After 2005, she entered private practice becoming Shareholder/Partner in Gastro ONE – single specialty Gastroenterology group in Memphis TN, clinical position that she held for eight years. Dr. Pop completed a Business of Medicine MBA degree training at Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, IN in 2015 and obtained a Certificate of Strategy and Innovation from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloane School of Management in January 2016. She is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association and a Fellow of the American Society of GI Endoscopy.
Categories: Private Practice, Clinical Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD, FACG
I currently serve as Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Houston Methodist Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College in Houston Texas and co-director of the Underwood Center for Digestive Diseases. My career has seen me cross the Atlantic several times, beginning with Medical School in my native city of Cork, Ireland and residency in Glasgow,Scotland, followed by research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN, then back to the other side of the ocean to Manchester, UK where I completed my clinical training in GI. I returned to the US for 12 years as faculty and eventually Section Chief at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, followed by 14 years in Cork, including two terms as Dean of the Medical School, where I also became involved in microbiome and probiotic research. The latest transatlantic sortie to Houston took place in 2013. Throughout this complicated career,I have also been involved in clinical and translational research in motility, functional bowel disease and GERD. Clinically, I would regard myself as a general gastroenterologist with some focus on the areas of clinical research interest. I also have a long-standing interest in Medical Education and have been particularly involved in medical student, GI fellowship and program director education, the latter through the World Gastroenterology Organization (and ACG supported) Train-the-Trainers program, as well as the ACG young faculty program. I served as Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Gastroenterology and maintain an active role on editorial boards and manuscript reviewing.
I am happy to share my experiences and learning gained over the years in clinical research, education and medical publishing with potential mentees.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, and Research Career
Laura E. Raffals, MD, MS, FACG
Laura Raffals, MD, MS, is a professor of medicine and faculty member in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, Chair of the Mayo Clinic Rochester Operations Coordinating Group, and Enterprise Medical Director of Contracting and Payer Relations for Mayo Clinic. Dr. Raffals received her master’s in health studies and completed her gastroenterology fellowship training at the University of Chicago, and for six years was a member of the faculty. In 2011, she joined the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Raffals has an active clinical practice within the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) interest group and the endoscopy practice. At the national level, she is a key opinion leader in IBD and ileal pouch disorders. Her research program, supported through federal and foundational funding, is focused on novel treatments of IBD. She is the co-principal investigator for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation SPARC (Study of an Adult Prospective Research Cohort) IBD, overseeing 22 sites in the United States and over 4,000 enrolled participants. In addition, Dr. Raffals serves on the scientific advisory board for two biotechnology companies. She has received many teaching awards including the first woman to receive the Mayo Fellows’ Association Gastroenterology Teacher of the Year Award. She was awarded the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation Uniting to Care & Cure Award and the Champion of Hope recognition for her contributions to research and advocacy for patients with IBD. Dr. Raffals was also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for the University of Chicago, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
I received by medical degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. I then went on to complete my Internal medicine residency at New York University, and GI fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. I am currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at Albany Medical center in Albany New York where I have served as the fellowship program director since 2007. I have been an active member of the American College of Gastroenterology serving on the Training committee as a member for 6 years, including as serving as its chairman until 2016. My career focus has been on education of GI fellows and medical residents. My clinical interests are in colorectal cancer screening, GERD, and ablation of Barrett’s esophagus.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
I completed my medical degree at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. I moved in the Midwest for my medical training: Internal medicine at IU-Indianapolis, Geriatric fellowship at UW-Madison and Gastroenterology fellowship at Mizzou-Columbia. The advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease was completed at the University of Chicago. For the past 7 years, I have been practicing at Presbyterian Healthcare System, a statewide health system in New Mexico. I am in charge of the inflammatory bowel disease clinic. I am working to establish a model of a clinically comprehensive IBD center. While similar endeavors are usually undertaken in academic centers, the challenge of expanding advances in IBD care to the community has been rewarding. From my position, I continue scholarly work such as lecturing house staff, speaking for pharmaceutical industry and reviewing articles submitted to peer journals. It will be a pleasure to share this experience with future leaders in our field and to enhance expanding medical care where it is needed the most.
Categories: Private Practice, Clinical Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Brijen Shah is a board certified internist, gastroenterologist and geriatrician who is an associate professor at Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center and the chief medical officer at Mount Sinai Queens. He is the former director of GME for faculty development, QI and Patient Safety. Brijen is a graduate of the Warren Alpert School of Medicine and Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency. He recently completed the Greater New York Hospital Association Clinical Quality Fellowship Program. Clinically, he provides GI consultation in the Faculty Practice focused on older adults and functional GI disorders. His academic interests include teaching students, residents and fellows in both geriatrics and Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and curriculum development in these topics. Brijen is interested in helping to teach and better understand shared decision making in the older population for colon cancer screening. He is the recipient of a Hartford Center of Excellence grant and a Hearst Foundation grant to train chief resident in Geriatric principles. He is also actively in involved as a volunteer preceptor in the East Harlem Health Outreach Project. He has published review articles and textbook chapters on fecal incontinence, constipation, and colon cancer screening in the geriatric population.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Mitchell L. Shiffman, MD, FACG
Dr. Mitchell L. Shiffman is the Director of the Liver Institute Virginia at the Bon Secours Virginia Health System with offices in Richmond and Newport News, Virginia. He is also a Professor of Medicine at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia. Between 1990-2009, Dr. Shiffman was the Chief of the Hepatology Section and Medical Director of the Liver Transplant Program at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. Dr Shiffman received his MD degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the VCU-Medical College of Virginia. At the Liver Institute of Virginia, Dr. Shiffman and his staff care for patients with all types of liver disorders. Liver Institute has arrangements with several liver transplant programs. Patients can undergo evaluation testing, pre and post liver transplant care at the Liver Institute, which prevents the need for patients to travel long distances for transplant care. The Liver Institute at Bon Secours Health System also offers multi-modality treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma including surgical resection, chemoembolization, radioembolization, radio frequency ablation, and chemotherapy and works with several transplant programs to offer liver transplantation. Dr. Shiffman supervises a large clinical trials research program which conducts trials at both Liver Institute offices in the area of chronic HCV, chronic HBV, fatty liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Dr. Shiffman has edited 3 books on liver disease and has published over 275 peer reviewed articles, invited reviews and/or book chapters. His writing and clinical research have focused primarily on viral hepatitis C and B where he is considered an international key opinion leader.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Private Practice, and General Mentoring Advice
Eugenia Shmidt is a clinician, researcher and educator who specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Shmidt is Co-Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the University of Minnesota. She has clinical and research experience in gender-specific issues in IBD. Dr. Shmidt received her bachelor’s degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and her medical degree from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She continued at Mayo Clinic where she completed residency in internal medicine. She then went on to complete a fellowship in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Upon joining the faculty at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Shmidt started the IBD Preconception and Pregnancy Planning Clinic (IPREPP), that offers comprehensive pre-conception and pregnancy counseling and care to women with IBD. The clinic combines the expertise of IBD specialty care and maternal fetal medicine. In 2019, Dr. Shmidt received the University of Minnesota’s Biomedical Research Award for Interdisciplinary New Science (BRAINS) to study the impact of the microbiome on fertility. In 2021, she served as a writing member of the AGA Guideline Committee for the Medical Management of Moderate to Severe Luminal and Perianal Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease. Dr. Shmidt has published original research in the areas of sexual function and therapeutics in IBD.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Research Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Pooja Singhal currently works at the Saint Anthony Hospital Gastroenterology. Her areas of interest include Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Women’s Gastrointestinal health, and Esophageal disorders. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma Medical School in Oklahoma. She completed her residency in 2008 from Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC where she was selected to serve as a chief resident. She then completed her Gastroenterology fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital (2015) where she also served as a chief GI fellow. She currently serves on Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation National Scientific Advisory Committee. She has been awarded ACG SCOPY awards twice for her efforts to raise CRC awareness in her community, and state. She was also a ANMS visiting Motility fellow at the Cedars Sinai Hospital. Dr. Singhal is actively involved in the ACG, and currently serves on the Women’s GI committee. She has been the recipient of the ACG United States Train the Trainers Program Travel Award. She is available via email ([email protected]), and twitter account (@gastrohealthdoc). She is excited to guide trainees on different career tracks, and work-life balance.
Categories: Academics, Clinical Career, Private Practice, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Zarema Singson is a graduate of Rice University. After receiving her medical degree from the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, Dr. Singson went on to complete her residency and fellowship training at the University of California Irvine where she also served as Chief Resident. She has also been an active member in the American College of Gastroenterology and has served on the Minority Affairs and Cultural Diversity Committee as well as the Women in GI Committee. She is currently in private practice in San Antonio, Texas. She and her husband are the proud parents of two children.
Categories: Private Practice, Clinical Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Umair Sohail is a board-certified Gastroenterologist who practices as a Gastroenterologist at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System, Tyler. He was a former Assistant Professor of Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center, Tyler. He received his medical degree from Rawalpindi Medical College, Pakistan. He completed his internal medicine residency from St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked as a chief resident (2012). He did a Transplant Hepatology Fellowship at University of Tennessee, Memphis (2013). Following this he came back to the Midwest to complete his 3 year Gastroenterology fellowship at University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was a chief GI Fellow (2016). Having benefited from inspiring mentors throughout his career, he is also committed to being a mentor to trainees and junior faculty. He has been fortunate to find a unique hybrid of clinical practice, as he is both a private practitioner as well as a clinical educator for the Division of Gastroenterology – Hepatology. He describes his practice as a blend of academic and clinical. He is also Board certified in Obesity Medicine (ABOM). He is a Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology (FACG) and a Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP) and is actively involved in the ASGE and ACG. He currently serves on the Patient Education Committee of Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. His areas of interest include inflammatory bowel disease and hepatology. His interests in endoscopy include quality in endoscopy, patient preparation, GERD, colon cancer screening and prevention.
Categories: Clinical Career, Private Practice, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
I am currently part of a physician run private practice in Reno NV. Previously, I served as the Director of the GI Motility Lab at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. As one of a few motility experts in the military, I managed one of the largest motility labs within the Department of Defense. I graduated with honors with a BS and BA degree from the University of Nevada Reno. I completed medical school at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine Nevada with a Doctorate of Osteopathy. I completed my IM residency at Tripler Army Medical Center and completed my GI fellowship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. I am involved in the American College of Gastroenterology and serve on the women’s committee. My clinical interests include esophageal motility disorders, reflux disease, and endoscopic management of these disorders. I am passionate about medical student, resident, and fellow education/mentorship. I want to help trainees progress through their careers and achieve their goals and aspirations, both personally and professionally. I am an avid scuba diver and my other interest include underwater and wildlife photography.
Categories: Private Practice, Academics, Clinical Career, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Milena Suarez is a Professor of Medicine and GI Fellowship Program Director at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She did her internal medicine residency at Tufts Medical Center and her fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania. Her clinical and research interests include colon cancer screening, health disparities and heritable colon cancer syndromes. She is actively involved in the training of GI fellows, residents and medical students. She is in a dual physician marriage and has 2 teenage children.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Veysel Tahan is a Full Professor of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board Certified in both Internal Medicine (ABIM-IM) and Gastroenterology (ABIM-GI). International European Board of Gastroenterology certified and also IM and GI Board Certified in Türkiye. He received his medical degree from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Türkiye. He completed his IM residency at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty and GI fellowship at Marmara University. He moved to Pittsburgh, PA in 2008 for a 4-year of “Hepatocyte and Stem Cell Transplantation for Hepatology Diseases” program at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed a second GI fellowship program at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Worked as a clinical faculty/professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia Division of Gastroenterology, MO, USA between 2015-2023. Currently a Full Professor and Faculty of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) – Summa Health System, Akron OH, USA & Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), WV since May 2024. Mentor of American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) on Research Career, Academics, Clinical Career, Educational Career, and General Mentoring Advice categories. Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology (FACG), American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (FASGE), American Gastroenterological Association (AGAF), American College of Physicians (FACP), and the European Section and Board of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (FESBGH). Member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), and Cell Transplant Society, Turkish Society of Gastroenterology, Turkish Association for Study of Liver Diseases, and Turkish Society of Endoscopy. Has >200 international publications and abstracts (>230) with his colleagues and/or mentees and serves on the editorial boards of 15 Gastroenterology/Hepatology Journals. He is also actively involved in mentoring fellows, residents, and medical students in both clinical and research environments.
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Lavanya Viswanathan received her undergraduate education at the University of Maryland, College Park, her Master’s degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Georgetown University, and her medical training at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). She went on to complete her Internal Medicine military residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX and her GI fellowship at Augusta University Medical Center (formerly MCG) in Augusta, GA. She completed a distinguished career in the Air Force, for which she received a Meritorious Service Medal for her departmental leadership, particularly during COVID. She is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she is a Neurogastroenterology and Motility specialist. She has contributed to several book chapters and peer-reviewed publications, with an emphasis on motility disorders. She has contributed to several book chapters and peer-reviewed publications, and lectured extensively on those topics. She also co-authored the first textbook in the new field of Onco-Neurogastroenterology. She serves as a GI manuscript reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, AJG and AGA: In Focus. In addition to clinical medicine, she is active within the American College of Physicians (ACP), ACG and AGA. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, running, singing and writing (though not all at once:). She is interested in mentoring fellows with respect to career and education guidance and work/life balance. Twitter: @LavanyaMD
Categories: Academics, Research Career, Clinical Career, Education Career, and General Mentoring Advice
Dr. Pat Young is a Professor of Medicine the Director of the Division of Digestive Health at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He has a diverse range of clinical leadership and teaching experiences including academic medicine, humanitarian assistance, and leadership development. He currently serves as a Trustee for the ACG and is the immediate past Chair of the ACG’s Board of Governors. His research interests include medical education, emotional intelligence, ergonomics, and pre-cancerous conditions of the GI tract. He loves helping fellows learn to be the best gastroenterologists and leaders they can be. In his free time, he is an avid outdoorsman and musician.
Categories: Academics, Education Career, Work-Life Integration, and General Mentoring Advice