Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

2026 Sessions

Breakout Sessions: Roundtable Discussions

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 2:45–4:00 PM
Faculty

Raymond Cross

MD, MS, AGAF, FACG
Director
Melissa L Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease, Mercy Medical Center

Raymond K. Cross, MD, MS, AGAF, FACG completed undergraduate training at Washington and Jefferson College and attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship training at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore Veterans Affairs. Prior to fellowship, he was a Chief Medical Resident. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He joined the faculty at the University of Maryland and served as Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program from 2004 to 2024. In July 2024, he joined the faculty at the Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center where he is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases.
He has published over 200 peer reviewed manuscripts, review articles, and book chapters and has obtained research funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American College of Gastroenterology. He is past Chair of the Patient Education and Clinical Research Committees and Clinical Research Alliance for the Foundation. He is the Co-Chair of the Regional Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Course, Scientific Co-Director of the CorEvitas Registry, and past Course Director for the American College of Gastroenterology’s Eastern Regional Course. He is Governor for Maryland for the American College of Gastroenterology, a member of the American College of Gastroenterology’s Research Committee, and Senior Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Faculty

Sara Horst

MD, MPH, FACG, AGAF
Professor
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Sara Horst MD, MPH, FACG, AGAF is a Professor in the division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Horst completed her medical school and residency training at The Ohio State University and then went to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for Gastroenterology Fellowship and to obtain her Masters of Public Health. She joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2011. She is involved in clinical care of complex IBD care, complex amyloid care, clinical research, and teaching and mentoring medical students and housestaff. She is the medical director for VUMC Specialty Pharmacy, VUMC Telehealth director, and VUMC Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for Dept of Medicine. Her research interests involve enhancing EHR efficiencies in the care of IBD, telehealth in IBD, and medication adherence in IBD. She has extensively published in peer reviewed journals. She is also involved in clinical care improvement as an EPIC Physician Builder and is on the National EPIC GI Steering Board. She is an associate editor for American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Faculty

David Hudesman

MD, FACG, AGAF
Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
NYU Langone Health

Dr. Hudesman is Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health. He is Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

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

Dr. Hudesman served on the Educational Affairs Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology, and the Professional Membership Committee of the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation, and is currently on the Quality Committee of the American Gastroenterological Association.

Faculty

Kelly Issokson

MS, RD, CSDH, CNSC
Senior RD, Outpatient Nutrition
UCSF Health

Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, CSDH, LDN, CNSC is the Senior Registered Dietitian of Outpatient Nutrition at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a nationally recognized expert in gastrointestinal nutrition. With over 17 years of clinical experience, she specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and surgical nutrition. Ms. Issokson graduated magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University and earned her MS in Nutrition from California State University, Northridge. She serves on the National Board of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and is a leading voice in advancing nutrition as part of multidisciplinary IBD care. She co-developed the Cedars-Sinai IBD Prehabilitation Program and nutrition education training programs for physicians, APPs, and RDs.

Co-Chair

Millie Long

MD, MPH, FACG
Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Millie D. Long MD, MPH earned her doctor of medicine degree at the University of Virginia. She completed a residency and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She then completed a gastroenterology fellowship at University of North Carolina. She also completed a fellowship in preventive medicine and a masters of public health in epidemiology at the Gillings School of Public Health. She is board certified in internal medicine, preventive medicine, and gastroenterology. She is currently Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of North Carolina, as well as Chief of the Division.

Dr. Long’s clinical practice is at the UNC Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) center. Her research interests include prevention of complications of IBD, women’s health and clinical epidemiology. Dr. Long has contributed over 200 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and review articles to the literature. She co-authored the 2025 ACG ulcerative colitis guidelines. She serves Co-Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Dr. Long is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology where she is a member of the Board of Trustees. She is also a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association and a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Recipient of the 2024 Sherman Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis. She is a member of the International Organization for the Study of IBD.

Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

Let's Talk About Sex and IBD

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

Monday, December 07 2:30–3:10 PM
Faculty

Raymond Cross

MD, MS, AGAF, FACG
Director
Melissa L Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease, Mercy Medical Center

Raymond K. Cross, MD, MS, AGAF, FACG completed undergraduate training at Washington and Jefferson College and attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship training at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore Veterans Affairs. Prior to fellowship, he was a Chief Medical Resident. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He joined the faculty at the University of Maryland and served as Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program from 2004 to 2024. In July 2024, he joined the faculty at the Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center where he is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases.
He has published over 200 peer reviewed manuscripts, review articles, and book chapters and has obtained research funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American College of Gastroenterology. He is past Chair of the Patient Education and Clinical Research Committees and Clinical Research Alliance for the Foundation. He is the Co-Chair of the Regional Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Course, Scientific Co-Director of the CorEvitas Registry, and past Course Director for the American College of Gastroenterology’s Eastern Regional Course. He is Governor for Maryland for the American College of Gastroenterology, a member of the American College of Gastroenterology’s Research Committee, and Senior Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

Faculty

Audrey Bennett

MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Audrey Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and her medical degree from the University of Minnesota. She completed Internal Medicine residency, Gastroenterology fellowship, and Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. During her residency and fellowship, she also received additional training certificates in biomedical ethics and LGBTQ+ health. She specializes in the care of patients with IBD and started as faculty at the Vanderbilt IBD Clinic in 2023.

Faculty

Jessica Caron

MEd., M.S.
Patient Advocate
Chronically-Jess.com

Jessica Caron, MS is a passionate healthcare professional and patient advocate in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) community. As a nationally-recognized speaker on patient advocacy, Jessica shares her experience as a patient living with Crohn’s disease, advocating for a co-facilitated approach to advancing medical care. She blogs and supports patients across the globe through her website, Chronically-Jess.com. Jessica has been a Patient Leader with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s IBDQorus program, a past member of the Patient Engagement Committee with the Academy on Communication in Healthcare, and is an active advocate through social media. She has a Psychology degree from the University of Maine, a Master of Education in Human Relations from Plymouth State University, and a Master's in Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) from Dartmouth College. Jessica currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two young sons and works in strategic patient engagement with Snow Companies.

Faculty

Marla Dubinsky

MD
Chief of Pediatric GI and Nutrition
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Marla C. Dubinsky received a medical degree from Queen’s University in Canada and completed her clinical pediatric gastroenterology training at Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada adn her IBD training at Cedars-SInai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Dubinsky is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis and a 2024 Jacobi Medallion winner for her contibutions to Mount Sinai. Currently, Dr. Dubinsky is Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, as well as the Co-Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center and Co-director of the Marie and Barry Lipman Preconception and Pregnancy Planning Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, She is a Professor of both Pediatrics and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine, Her primary research focuses on the influence of genetics and immune responses on the variability in clinical presentations, treatment responses and prognosis of IBD. Her other interests include the impact of IBD on fertility and pregnancy. She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally and has published in over 400 peer reviewed journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Gastroenterology, The American Journal of Gastroenterology, The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and of Crohn's and Colitis .

Let's Talk About Sex and IBD

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

Monday, December 07 3:20–4:00 PM
Faculty

Raymond Cross

MD, MS, AGAF, FACG
Director
Melissa L Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease, Mercy Medical Center

Raymond K. Cross, MD, MS, AGAF, FACG completed undergraduate training at Washington and Jefferson College and attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. He completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship training at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore Veterans Affairs. Prior to fellowship, he was a Chief Medical Resident. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He joined the faculty at the University of Maryland and served as Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program from 2004 to 2024. In July 2024, he joined the faculty at the Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center where he is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases.
He has published over 200 peer reviewed manuscripts, review articles, and book chapters and has obtained research funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the American College of Gastroenterology. He is past Chair of the Patient Education and Clinical Research Committees and Clinical Research Alliance for the Foundation. He is the Co-Chair of the Regional Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Course, Scientific Co-Director of the CorEvitas Registry, and past Course Director for the American College of Gastroenterology’s Eastern Regional Course. He is Governor for Maryland for the American College of Gastroenterology, a member of the American College of Gastroenterology’s Research Committee, and Senior Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

Faculty

Audrey Bennett

MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Audrey Bennett is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and her medical degree from the University of Minnesota. She completed Internal Medicine residency, Gastroenterology fellowship, and Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. During her residency and fellowship, she also received additional training certificates in biomedical ethics and LGBTQ+ health. She specializes in the care of patients with IBD and started as faculty at the Vanderbilt IBD Clinic in 2023.

Faculty

Jessica Caron

MEd., M.S.
Patient Advocate
Chronically-Jess.com

Jessica Caron, MS is a passionate healthcare professional and patient advocate in the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) community. As a nationally-recognized speaker on patient advocacy, Jessica shares her experience as a patient living with Crohn’s disease, advocating for a co-facilitated approach to advancing medical care. She blogs and supports patients across the globe through her website, Chronically-Jess.com. Jessica has been a Patient Leader with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s IBDQorus program, a past member of the Patient Engagement Committee with the Academy on Communication in Healthcare, and is an active advocate through social media. She has a Psychology degree from the University of Maine, a Master of Education in Human Relations from Plymouth State University, and a Master's in Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) from Dartmouth College. Jessica currently lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two young sons and works in strategic patient engagement with Snow Companies.

Faculty

Marla Dubinsky

MD
Chief of Pediatric GI and Nutrition
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Marla C. Dubinsky received a medical degree from Queen’s University in Canada and completed her clinical pediatric gastroenterology training at Sainte-Justine Hospital, University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada adn her IBD training at Cedars-SInai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Dubinsky is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis and a 2024 Jacobi Medallion winner for her contibutions to Mount Sinai. Currently, Dr. Dubinsky is Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, as well as the Co-Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center and Co-director of the Marie and Barry Lipman Preconception and Pregnancy Planning Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, She is a Professor of both Pediatrics and Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine, Her primary research focuses on the influence of genetics and immune responses on the variability in clinical presentations, treatment responses and prognosis of IBD. Her other interests include the impact of IBD on fertility and pregnancy. She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally and has published in over 400 peer reviewed journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Gastroenterology, The American Journal of Gastroenterology, The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and of Crohn's and Colitis .

Mental Health in IBD: What to Do If You Don't Have a Psychiatrist

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

Tuesday, December 08 6:00–6:40 PM
Faculty

Neilanjan Nandi

MD, FACG, AGAF, FCCF, FACP
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Co-Section Head, Director of Clinical Operations, Penn IBD Program
University of Pennsylvania

Neilanjan Nandi, MD, FACG, AGAF, FCCF, FACP is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and is the Co-Section Head and Direcotr of Clinical Operations of the University of Pennsylvania Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program. Dr. Nandi specializes in the complex management of Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis and recurrent C. difficile infection (C difficile). He has also authored numerous abstracts, publications and book chapters on the diagnosis and management of IBD, C difficile and various viral, parasitic, mycobacterial and bacterial infections of the GI tract. Aligning with his interests, Dr. Nandi has conducted several clinical trials focused on the clinical impact of stool derived microbiome therapies in C difficile and IBD. Dr. Nandi servies on the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF) Executive Council and on the Medical Advisory Board of the United Ostomy Associates of America (UOAA). He is a founding non-profit board member and Chair of the South Asian IBD Alliance (SAIA) which elevates culturally competent care in South Asian IBD. He has been recognized with the 2019 Philly Take STeps Physician Hero, the 2022 CCF's National Chairman’s Citation Award and the 2024 CCF's Gold Medallion Physician Award. He is the honored recipient of the 2023 Sidney Cohen GI Faculty Teaching Award and the 2024 Radhika Srinivasan GI Faculty award for Professionalism and Humanism at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

Faculty

Aline Charabaty

MD
Professor of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dr. Aline Charabaty is Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland and the Director of the IBD Program at the University of Maryland Medical center. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Crohn’s and Colitis 360 journal, and is past Vice-Chair of the AGA Research Foundation Executive Board, and past ACG Governor for Washington DC. Her work and advocacy were recognized by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Excellence in Medicine Award in 2020 , the ACG Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award in 2025, and the AGA Beacon of Hope Award in 2026. Dr Charabaty uses social media to amplify medical education in IBD and is the founder of @MondayNightIBD a CME platform on twitter for which she received the Healio Disruptive Innovator Award in 2019. Dr Charabaty is a strong advocate for diversity and the professional advancement of women in GI. She is the Co-Founder of Scrubs & Heels, a foundation focused on empowering women in GI with the leadership skills, networking and mentorship to achieve professional goals and growth.

Faculty

Kelly Issokson

MS, RD, CSDH, CNSC
Senior RD, Outpatient Nutrition
UCSF Health

Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, CSDH, LDN, CNSC is the Senior Registered Dietitian of Outpatient Nutrition at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a nationally recognized expert in gastrointestinal nutrition. With over 17 years of clinical experience, she specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and surgical nutrition. Ms. Issokson graduated magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University and earned her MS in Nutrition from California State University, Northridge. She serves on the National Board of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and is a leading voice in advancing nutrition as part of multidisciplinary IBD care. She co-developed the Cedars-Sinai IBD Prehabilitation Program and nutrition education training programs for physicians, APPs, and RDs.

Faculty

Gil Melmed

MD, MS, FACG, AGAF
Director, IBD Clinical Research, F. Widjadja IBD Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Gil Y. Melmed, MD, MS, is the Clinical Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program and Associate Director of the Karsh Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and master of science in clinical research from UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Dr Melmed completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles.
He has authored or coauthored more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. Dr Melmed has served as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, an ad hoc reviewer for several journals, and clinical research editor for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. His research interests include clinical outcomes and quality of care in IBD. He has given invited lectures and presentations nationally and internationally on several clinical topics in inflammatory bowel disease, including quality of care and clinical outcomes. He is a committee member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, where he serves as co-chair of the IBD Quality of Care committee. He has led or participated in the development of quality measures for IBD with the American Gastroenterology Association, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the Canadian Crohn’s and Colitis organizations.

Mental Health in IBD: What to Do If You Don't Have a Psychiatrist

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

Tuesday, December 08 6:50–7:30 PM
Faculty

Neilanjan Nandi

MD, FACG, AGAF, FCCF, FACP
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Co-Section Head, Director of Clinical Operations, Penn IBD Program
University of Pennsylvania

Neilanjan Nandi, MD, FACG, AGAF, FCCF, FACP is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and is the Co-Section Head and Direcotr of Clinical Operations of the University of Pennsylvania Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program. Dr. Nandi specializes in the complex management of Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis and recurrent C. difficile infection (C difficile). He has also authored numerous abstracts, publications and book chapters on the diagnosis and management of IBD, C difficile and various viral, parasitic, mycobacterial and bacterial infections of the GI tract. Aligning with his interests, Dr. Nandi has conducted several clinical trials focused on the clinical impact of stool derived microbiome therapies in C difficile and IBD. Dr. Nandi servies on the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Crohn's & Colitis Foundation (CCF) Executive Council and on the Medical Advisory Board of the United Ostomy Associates of America (UOAA). He is a founding non-profit board member and Chair of the South Asian IBD Alliance (SAIA) which elevates culturally competent care in South Asian IBD. He has been recognized with the 2019 Philly Take STeps Physician Hero, the 2022 CCF's National Chairman’s Citation Award and the 2024 CCF's Gold Medallion Physician Award. He is the honored recipient of the 2023 Sidney Cohen GI Faculty Teaching Award and the 2024 Radhika Srinivasan GI Faculty award for Professionalism and Humanism at the Perelman School of Medicine.

Faculty

Jessica Salwen-Deremer

PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Jessiy Salwen-Deremer, Ph.D., DBSM, is the Director of Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Salwen-Deremer earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University and completed her fellowship training in behavioral medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical expertise include behavioral sleep medicine and gastropsychology. Her research expertise encompasses two areas: understanding the impact of sleep disorders on inflammatory bowel diseases and improving access to gastrointestinal behavioral health care. Across both of these areas, she focuses on the integration of telehealth and remote technologies to enhance patient engagement and participation.

Faculty

Aline Charabaty

MD
Professor of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Dr. Aline Charabaty is Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland and the Director of the IBD Program at the University of Maryland Medical center. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Crohn’s and Colitis 360 journal, and is past Vice-Chair of the AGA Research Foundation Executive Board, and past ACG Governor for Washington DC. Her work and advocacy were recognized by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Excellence in Medicine Award in 2020 , the ACG Diversity Equity and Inclusion Award in 2025, and the AGA Beacon of Hope Award in 2026. Dr Charabaty uses social media to amplify medical education in IBD and is the founder of @MondayNightIBD a CME platform on twitter for which she received the Healio Disruptive Innovator Award in 2019. Dr Charabaty is a strong advocate for diversity and the professional advancement of women in GI. She is the Co-Founder of Scrubs & Heels, a foundation focused on empowering women in GI with the leadership skills, networking and mentorship to achieve professional goals and growth.

Faculty

Kelly Issokson

MS, RD, CSDH, CNSC
Senior RD, Outpatient Nutrition
UCSF Health

Kelly Issokson, MS, RD, CSDH, LDN, CNSC is the Senior Registered Dietitian of Outpatient Nutrition at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a nationally recognized expert in gastrointestinal nutrition. With over 17 years of clinical experience, she specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and surgical nutrition. Ms. Issokson graduated magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University and earned her MS in Nutrition from California State University, Northridge. She serves on the National Board of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and is a leading voice in advancing nutrition as part of multidisciplinary IBD care. She co-developed the Cedars-Sinai IBD Prehabilitation Program and nutrition education training programs for physicians, APPs, and RDs.

Faculty

Gil Melmed

MD, MS, FACG, AGAF
Director, IBD Clinical Research, F. Widjadja IBD Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Gil Y. Melmed, MD, MS, is the Clinical Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program and Associate Director of the Karsh Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He earned his medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and master of science in clinical research from UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Dr Melmed completed his gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles.
He has authored or coauthored more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters. Dr Melmed has served as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, an ad hoc reviewer for several journals, and clinical research editor for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. His research interests include clinical outcomes and quality of care in IBD. He has given invited lectures and presentations nationally and internationally on several clinical topics in inflammatory bowel disease, including quality of care and clinical outcomes. He is a committee member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, where he serves as co-chair of the IBD Quality of Care committee. He has led or participated in the development of quality measures for IBD with the American Gastroenterology Association, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and the Canadian Crohn’s and Colitis organizations.

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