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.

2026 Sessions

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 .

Case Discussion: Pregnancy Possibilities

Invited Co-Team Leader

Panelist

Wednesday, December 09 11:10–11:35 AM
Faculty

Kara De Felice

MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Cincinnati

Dr. Kara De Felice serves as an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and the Director of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at the University of Cincinnati. Leading a multidisciplinary IBD team, her mission is to deliver exceptional patient care and improve long-term outcomes through clinical excellence, participation in clinical trials, and the training of the next generation of gastroenterologists. A dedicated educator, she is a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences with a specialized focus on women in GI and Advanced Practice Provider (APP) education. Outside of the clinic, she enjoys traveling, playing tennis, and hosting dinner and cocktail parties.

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

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

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

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 Schwartzberg

MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Hofstra Zucker School of Medicine.

David Schwartzberg, MD is a double-board certified colorectal surgeon who specializes in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, including redo/corrective pelvic pouch surgery in the Center for Advanced IBD at Northwell Health. He completed his general surgery training at NYU & Bellevue Hospital, a colorectal fellowship at Cleveland Clinic and an complex IBD & J-pouch surgery fellowship at NYU's IBD Center.
He is currently at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and serves as the director of reoperative surgery & the intestinal fistula center.

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