Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

2026 Sessions

Inflammatory Conditions of the Pouch

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

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

Hans Herfarth

MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Hans Herfarth is Director of the Multidisciplinary IBD Center at the University of North Carolina. His primary research interests focus on the development and evaluation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). His work is particularly centered on the conceptualization and conduct of investigator-initiated clinical studies in IBD, supported by funding from the NIH, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and private and industry-associated foundations. Dr. Herfarth has authored more than 350 journal articles, book chapters, and review articles related to IBD.

Faculty

Laura Raffals

MD, MS
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
Mayo Clinic

Laura Raffals, MD, MS, FACG is Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair, Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. She received her Masters 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’ clinical and research interests have focused on inflammatory bowel disease with a focus on pouch disorders, exploring the intersection of pouch motility disorders and pouch inflammation. She is the co-principal investigator for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation SPARC IBD, a national prospective adult research cohort with IBD study and has published broadly on topics in inflammatory bowel disease.

Faculty

Bincy Abraham

MD, MS, FACG
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College; Texas A&M University College of Medicine

Bincy P. Abraham, M.D., M.S., AGAF, FACG, FASGE, FCCF is the Distinguished Professor and Director of the Fondren Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the Underwood Digestive Diseases Center of Houston Methodist Hospital. She is also the Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship and Associate Program Director of the Advanced IBD Fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital. She earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, where she continued with residency training in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology. During fellowship, she received specialized training in inflammatory bowel disease and earned her degree in Masters of Clinical Investigation. She also completed a National Visiting Fellow Inflammatory Bowel Disease Rotation program through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She has chaired the Southern Regional chapter of the CCFA Medical Advisory Committee, served as president of the Texas Gulf Coast Gastroenterology Society, is involved in national committees for and is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterology Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She is trained in and passionate about intestinal ultrasound in IBD patient care.

Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

Faculty

Alessandro Fichera

FACS, FASCRS
Division Chief Colon and Rectal Surgery
Baylor University Medical Center

Dr. Fichera earned his M.D. from the Catholic University of Rome, completed General Surgery Residency at the University of Chicago and two year fellowship in laparoscopic and colorectal surgery at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He returned to the University of Chicago where he started and became the first Program Director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Training Program. He moved to the University of Washington in July 2012 as chief of colorectal surgery and was appointed chief of the section of Gastrointestinal Surgery in 2014 and in 2016 the clinical director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. In November 2017 he moved to University of North Carolina as the Division Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery. In September 2019 he became the Division Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and the Surgery Safety and Quality Officer since July 2020. His clinical and research interest include colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory Conditions of the Pouch

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

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

Hans Herfarth

MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Hans Herfarth is Director of the Multidisciplinary IBD Center at the University of North Carolina. His primary research interests focus on the development and evaluation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). His work is particularly centered on the conceptualization and conduct of investigator-initiated clinical studies in IBD, supported by funding from the NIH, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and private and industry-associated foundations. Dr. Herfarth has authored more than 350 journal articles, book chapters, and review articles related to IBD.

Faculty

Laura Raffals

MD, MS
Vice Chair, Department of Medicine
Mayo Clinic

Laura Raffals, MD, MS, FACG is Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair, Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. She received her Masters 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’ clinical and research interests have focused on inflammatory bowel disease with a focus on pouch disorders, exploring the intersection of pouch motility disorders and pouch inflammation. She is the co-principal investigator for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation SPARC IBD, a national prospective adult research cohort with IBD study and has published broadly on topics in inflammatory bowel disease.

Faculty

Bincy Abraham

MD, MS, FACG
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Houston Methodist Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College; Texas A&M University College of Medicine

Bincy P. Abraham, M.D., M.S., AGAF, FACG, FASGE, FCCF is the Distinguished Professor and Director of the Fondren Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at the Underwood Digestive Diseases Center of Houston Methodist Hospital. She is also the Program Director for the Gastroenterology Fellowship and Associate Program Director of the Advanced IBD Fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital. She earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, where she continued with residency training in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology. During fellowship, she received specialized training in inflammatory bowel disease and earned her degree in Masters of Clinical Investigation. She also completed a National Visiting Fellow Inflammatory Bowel Disease Rotation program through the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She has chaired the Southern Regional chapter of the CCFA Medical Advisory Committee, served as president of the Texas Gulf Coast Gastroenterology Society, is involved in national committees for and is a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterology Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She is trained in and passionate about intestinal ultrasound in IBD patient care.

Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

Faculty

Alessandro Fichera

FACS, FASCRS
Division Chief Colon and Rectal Surgery
Baylor University Medical Center

Dr. Fichera earned his M.D. from the Catholic University of Rome, completed General Surgery Residency at the University of Chicago and two year fellowship in laparoscopic and colorectal surgery at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He returned to the University of Chicago where he started and became the first Program Director of the Colon and Rectal Surgery Training Program. He moved to the University of Washington in July 2012 as chief of colorectal surgery and was appointed chief of the section of Gastrointestinal Surgery in 2014 and in 2016 the clinical director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. In November 2017 he moved to University of North Carolina as the Division Chief of Gastrointestinal Surgery. In September 2019 he became the Division Chief of Colorectal Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and the Surgery Safety and Quality Officer since July 2020. His clinical and research interest include colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Journal

Presenter

Wednesday, December 09 8:45–9:00 AM
Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

Q&A

Co-Moderator

Panelist

Wednesday, December 09 9:30–9:45 AM
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

David Rubin

MD, FACG
Professor of Medicine; Professor of Pathology
University of Chicago Medicine

David T. Rubin is the Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pathology, Chief of the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition and Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. He earned a medical degree with honors at The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine where he also completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowships in gastroenterology and clinical medical ethics. He is associate faculty member at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, associate investigator at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the University of Chicago Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics. He is the immediate past Chair of the National Scientific Advisory Committee of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and Deputy Chair of the International Organization for the Study of IBD.
Dr. Rubin’s research is focused on disease modification in IBD including clinical trial designs, novel measures of inflammation and prevention of adverse outcomes, and quality of life in IBD. In 2023, he received both the UChicago Michael Reese Lectureship Award (for outstanding faculty who have developed novel teaching and clinical research that advances healthcare) and the distinguished UChicago Arthur H. Rubenstein Mentorship in Academic Medicine Award. Dr. Rubin is currently a senior editor of the 12 edition of Sleisenger and Fordtran’s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, and an author on >600 articles on management of IBD, including the 2019 and 2025 ACG Guidelines for ulcerative colitis.

Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

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

Anthony de Buck van Overstraeten

MD, MSc
Colorectal Surgeon
Cleveland Clinic Ohio

Dr. Anthony de Buck, MD, MSc, is a colorectal surgeon and internationally recognized expert in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He currently practices at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where he serves as colorectal surgeon and Lead of the IBD Section within the Department of Colorectal Surgery. He also holds an academic appointment as Visiting Associate Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. de Buck recently transitioned from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where he was a colorectal surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto.
He earned his medical degree at the University of Leuven, where he also completed his surgical and colorectal training. In 2013, he completed a colorectal fellowship at the University of Toronto, refining his expertise under the mentorship of leading experts in the field. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, equipping him with advanced research methodology skills.
Dr. de Buck’s research focuses on clinical outcomes in IBD, particularly functional results and quality of life. He has led and contributed to several multi-institutional studies and randomized controlled trials, supported by peer-reviewed funding. His work continues to shape surgical care for patients with IBD.
An engaged educator and academic leader, Dr. de Buck remains actively involved in teaching and mentorship. He is widely recognized for his contributions to patient-centered innovation in colorectal surgery.

Faculty

Gilaad Kaplan

MD, MPH, FCAHS
Professor, Gastroenterologist
University of Calgary

Dr. Kaplan is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Kaplan is a gastroenterologist who is internationally renowned for studying the global epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As the corresponding author, he has published in prestigious journals such as Nature, The Lancet and JAMA. He is an Associate Editor of Gastroenterology and an Academic Editor of PLOS Med. Between 2020 and 2025 Clarivate, Web of Science named Dr. Kaplan a Highly Cited Researcher in recognition of being in the top one percent of cited researchers. Dr. Kaplan is a member of the International Organization for the study of IBD (IOIBD). Dr. Kaplan received Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s Research Leader Award and was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Faculty

Nuru Noor

MD PhD
Clinical Lecturer in Gastroenterology
University of Cambridge

Dr Nuru Noor is a Clinical Lecturer in Gastroenterology based at the University of Cambridge in the UK. He also works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit - the largest academic clinical trials unit in Europe. He has a particular interest in novel clinical trial designs, having completed his PhD on this topic. He is keen to bring novel methodological approaches to the field of Gastroenterology, and in particular to IBD - which is his main area of clinical interest and expertise.

False Failures: Knowing When to Hang Tight

Presenter

Wednesday, December 09 1:45–2:00 PM
Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

Q&A

Co-Moderator

Panelist

Wednesday, December 09 2:45–3:15 PM
Co-Chair

Miguel Regueiro

MD, FACG
Professor and Chief of Digestive Disease Institute
Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Miguel Regueiro is the Enterprise Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President at Cleveland Clinic, and Professor in the Department of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Regueiro is the inaugural Chair holder of The Melody and Steve Golding Chair for Digestive Diseases. He served as the Global Chief for the Digestive Disease Institute from 2021 - 2026 before becoming Enterprise Chief of Staff. As Chief of Staff, he is responsible for shaping the healthcare strategy and vision for the national and international Cleveland Clinic sites. He oversees 6,000 physicians and 4.000 advanced practice providers across the enterprise.

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

Faculty

Jennifer Seminerio-Diehl

MD
Faculty

Jean Ashburn

MD, FACS, FASCRS
Associate Professor of Surgery
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Dr. Jean Ashburn is an Associate Professor of Surgery and a Faculty Colorectal surgeon at Atrium Health Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, NC. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and finished her residency in General Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then completed a fellowship in Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was a staff surgeon prior to joining the Department of Surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She has particular clinical and research interests in complex inflammatory bowel disease and J pouch surgery, reoperative pelvic surgery, and corrective/restorative surgery of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Faculty

Edward Barnes

MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine; 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize Recipient
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Edward L. Barnes, MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center at the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. Dr. Barnes received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Carolina. He completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes received a Master of Public Health from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Following his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Barnes completed a one year advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Barnes has a research interest in the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. He has a particular interest in improving our understanding of inflammatory conditions of the pouch after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). He has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, American College of Gastroenterology, and American Gastroenterological Association to study clinical outcomes of patients with pouchitis and other pouch-related conditions and to investigate predictors of a complicated disease course after IPAA. Dr. Barnes is the 2021 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize recipient.

Faculty

Jami Kinnucan

MD, AGAF, FACG, FCCF
Associate Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic Florida

Jami Kinnucan, MD, is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialist who joined the Mayo Clinic Florida practice in January 2021 as an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She currently serves as the Clinical Practice Chair for the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Associate Chair for Digital Transformation and Practice Integration for the Department of Medicine and Medical Director for Plummer Chart Ambulatory Communication Solutions team. She is also the Director of the IBD Intestinal Ultrasound Program at Mayo Clinic Florida. She has been recognized as a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), and Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She is a former member of the ACG Board of Governors for the state of Michigan and the ACG Women in Gastroenterology Committee. She is active in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and previous Co-Chair for the Women in IBD Task Force and prior member of the Government and Industry Affairs Committee for the National Scientific Advisory Committee. Dr. Kinnucan is the co-founder of the Michigan GI Society in 2020 and, most recently, co-founded the Florida Women in GI (2022) and Gastro Digital Health (2024) She serves as Associate Editor for the Crohn’s and Colitis 360 Journal. She is actively involved with research looking at the impact of cannabis in IBD and received a 2024 Mayo Clinic STARDOM award to evaluate the use of virtual reality on the impact of pain in patients with abdominal pain and Crohn’s disease.

Faculty

James Lewis

MD, MSCE
Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology
University of Pennsylvania

James Lewis, MD, MSCE, is Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Senior Scholar in the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, LDI Senior Fellow, Vice-Chief for Research (Clinical) in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Lewis is a gastroenterologist with a focus on caring for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and has conducted clinical research related to IBD for nearly 30 years. His reserach includes epidemiology studies focusing on optimal choice of therapies and treatment patterns and investigator-initiated multicenter clinical trials of medications and behavioral interventions, particulalry related to dietary patterns. His work has been funded by the NIH, AHRQ, CDC, PCORI, and numerous foundations and corporate sponsors. Dr. Lewis is the lead scientist for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation’s IBD Plexus Research Program. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. In 2016, he received the Sherman Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis.

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