Maia Kayal

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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. Her clinical research interests focus on the impact of aging on the natural history of the inflammatory bowel diseases, especially the pathogenesis and natural history of late-onset IBD. 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.

Dr. Maia Kayal is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Center. She graduated from New York University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kayal's research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch is funded by the NIH, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Rainin Foundation. She is a former ACG Young Physicians Leadership Scholar and AGA Future Leader.

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.

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.

Dr. Maia Kayal is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Center. She graduated from New York University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kayal's research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch is funded by the NIH, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Rainin Foundation. She is a former ACG Young Physicians Leadership Scholar and AGA Future Leader.

Paulo Gustavo Kotze is Adjunct Senior Professor of Surgery at the Catholic University in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. He rcompleted his General Surgery training at the Evangelical University Hospital in Curitiba (2000). He also completed his senior Fellowship in Colorectal Surgery at the Clinics Hospital from the Federal University of Parana (2002). Dr. Kotze achieved his Masters' Degree on Surgery at the Catholic University in 2008 and joined the faculty of medicine at the same university in 2011. He achieved his PhD degree studying the influence of biological therapy on surgical outcomes in Crohn´s disease, in the University of Campinas, in São Paulo, Brazil (UNICAMP) in 2015. Dr. Kotze was also an IBD advanced visiting fellow in the IBD unit at the University of Calgary (Cumming school of medicine), Canada, for the period of 2017-2018. Dr. Kotze is an experienced IBD surgeon and author of 3 books, 250+ pubmed peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters focused on Crohn´s disease and ulcerative colitis. He has special interest in the fields of biological therapy, epidemiology and surgery in IBD. Dr. Kotze was formely a committee member of S-ECCO (surgeons of ECCO) from 2015-2018 and a member of the ECCO EduCOM (educational committee), 2018-2021. He is an active member from the International Organization of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD). Currently, he is Professor of the Health Sciences Postgraduate Program at the Catholic University of Paraná, in Curitiba, Brazil. Dr Kotze is also a senior researcher for the National Brazilian Council of Research (CNPq).

Nicholas P. McKenna, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and a colorectal surgeon in the Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He completed his general surgery residency and colon and rectal surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Dr. McKenna’s clinical and research interests focus on inflammatory bowel disease and quality improvement in colorectal surgery. He is also actively involved in education as an Associate Program Director of the Mayo Clinic Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellowship Program.

Dr. Maia Kayal is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Center. She graduated from New York University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kayal's research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch is funded by the NIH, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Rainin Foundation. She is a former ACG Young Physicians Leadership Scholar and AGA Future Leader.

Edward V. Loftus, Jr. is a gastroenterologist who specializes in the care of patients with complex Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. He is the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Professor of Gastroenterology Specifically in IBD at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He developed a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients which has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications on the epidemiology and natural history of IBD. Professor Loftus has published over 500 original articles, book chapters, or editorials and more than 750 abstracts. He was awarded AGA’s Distinguished Clinician Award and the IMIBD section’s Research Mentor Award in 2019. He has also been awarded the Mayo Department of Medicine Laureate Award twice and the Outstanding Mentorship Award in Research. Professor Loftus has been the principal investigator on several funded studies focusing on the epidemiology and natural history of inflammatory bowel disease and has served as the local PI on multiple clinical trials of investigational agents for IBD. He serves on the steering committees of several clinical development programs in IBD. In the past he has served as Associate Editor for American Journal of Gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and currently serves as Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Jordan E. Axelrad, MD, MPH, FACG, is Co- Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health, and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Axelrad also directs the Clostridioides difficile and immunotherapy- related bowel diseases programs at NYU Langone Health. He received his medical and public health degrees from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and fellowship training in gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center, serving as chief fellow. Dr. Axelrad is involved in inflammatory bowel disease guideline development and educational programs, and serves on the editorial board of multiple journals. His current research, funded by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity, and the National Institutes of Health, focuses on inflammatory bowel disease epidemiology, malignant and infectious complications of inflammatory bowel disease, triggers of inflammatory bowel disease onset and flare, and models for predicting responsiveness to inflammatory bowel disease therapies. Dr. Axelrad has also received several awards for his work including the Auxiliary of the American College of Gastroenterology Award, the Dr. Philip Moskowitz Prize in Autoimmunity, and the Sherman Emerging Leader Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis.

Asher Kornbluth, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society for which he was selected as an Honored Educator and again as an Honored Clinician. He has been awarded the Solomon Berson Award at Mount Sinai for “Outstanding Physician, Teacher and Role Model”. He has been selected as Teacher of the Year for 6 consecutive years at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is the recipient of the William Dock Award Lifetime Teaching Award by the State University of New York Downstate. He has been recognized by his peers annually among the Best Doctors and Top Doctors for over 30 years. He is been the Founder and Co-Director for the last 18 years of the annual “Mount Sinai IBD Consultant’s Course: The Evidence and the Experience” and has been an Associate Editor for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Journal, and is on the Editorial Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is the Principal Author of the first 3 editions of the American College of Gastroenterology Ulcerative Practice Guidelines and has published over 100 papers, abstracts, and book chapters, and is an investigator on multiple clinical trials of novel agents. His recent research interests involve the role of overweight and obesity, visceral adiposity, and response to therapies in IBD.

Elizabeth A. Spencer, MD, MS is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in children and adolescents, with a focus on early detection, precision care, and noninvasive disease monitoring.

Dr. Spencer is the Director of the Pediatric Translational Medicine, Interim Director of Intestinal Ultrasound, and Co-Director of the Mount Sinai IBD-Dermatology Clinic, an innovative multidisciplinary program for children with overlapping gastrointestinal and dermatologic immune-mediated diseases. She also founded and directs the first-ever IBD Prevention Program, which provides proactive care for children and adults at high risk of developing IBD.

Her research leverages large-scale biorepositories and real-world data to evaluate treatment effectiveness and safety in pediatric IBD. She serves as an investigator on PCORI- and NIH-funded studies, including COMPARE, and leads national efforts to standardize intestinal ultrasound training and care pathways. She contributes to international pediatric IBD guideline development.

Dr. Spencer received her MD with honors (AOA, GHHS) from Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at UCLA, followed by pediatric gastroenterology and advanced IBD fellowships and a master’s degree in clinical research at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine. In 2025 alone, she has received awards for her collaborative research, her communication with patients, and her academic rigor. A pediatric IBD patient herself, she is deeply committed to advancing child-centered innovation in IBD prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Dr. Maia Kayal is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Center. She graduated from New York University School of Medicine Alpha Omega Alpha. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Columbia University Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Kayal's research in inflammatory conditions of the ileal pouch is funded by the NIH, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, and Rainin Foundation. She is a former ACG Young Physicians Leadership Scholar and AGA Future Leader.

Edward V. Loftus, Jr. is a gastroenterologist who specializes in the care of patients with complex Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. He is the Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Professor of Gastroenterology Specifically in IBD at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He developed a population-based cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients which has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications on the epidemiology and natural history of IBD. Professor Loftus has published over 500 original articles, book chapters, or editorials and more than 750 abstracts. He was awarded AGA’s Distinguished Clinician Award and the IMIBD section’s Research Mentor Award in 2019. He has also been awarded the Mayo Department of Medicine Laureate Award twice and the Outstanding Mentorship Award in Research. Professor Loftus has been the principal investigator on several funded studies focusing on the epidemiology and natural history of inflammatory bowel disease and has served as the local PI on multiple clinical trials of investigational agents for IBD. He serves on the steering committees of several clinical development programs in IBD. In the past he has served as Associate Editor for American Journal of Gastroenterology and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and currently serves as Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Jordan E. Axelrad, MD, MPH, FACG, is Co- Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health, and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Axelrad also directs the Clostridioides difficile and immunotherapy- related bowel diseases programs at NYU Langone Health. He received his medical and public health degrees from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and fellowship training in gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center, serving as chief fellow. Dr. Axelrad is involved in inflammatory bowel disease guideline development and educational programs, and serves on the editorial board of multiple journals. His current research, funded by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the Colton Center for Autoimmunity, and the National Institutes of Health, focuses on inflammatory bowel disease epidemiology, malignant and infectious complications of inflammatory bowel disease, triggers of inflammatory bowel disease onset and flare, and models for predicting responsiveness to inflammatory bowel disease therapies. Dr. Axelrad has also received several awards for his work including the Auxiliary of the American College of Gastroenterology Award, the Dr. Philip Moskowitz Prize in Autoimmunity, and the Sherman Emerging Leader Prize for Excellence in Crohn’s and Colitis.

Asher Kornbluth, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society for which he was selected as an Honored Educator and again as an Honored Clinician. He has been awarded the Solomon Berson Award at Mount Sinai for “Outstanding Physician, Teacher and Role Model”. He has been selected as Teacher of the Year for 6 consecutive years at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is the recipient of the William Dock Award Lifetime Teaching Award by the State University of New York Downstate. He has been recognized by his peers annually among the Best Doctors and Top Doctors for over 30 years. He is been the Founder and Co-Director for the last 18 years of the annual “Mount Sinai IBD Consultant’s Course: The Evidence and the Experience” and has been an Associate Editor for the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Journal, and is on the Editorial Board of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is the Principal Author of the first 3 editions of the American College of Gastroenterology Ulcerative Practice Guidelines and has published over 100 papers, abstracts, and book chapters, and is an investigator on multiple clinical trials of novel agents. His recent research interests involve the role of overweight and obesity, visceral adiposity, and response to therapies in IBD.

Elizabeth A. Spencer, MD, MS is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in children and adolescents, with a focus on early detection, precision care, and noninvasive disease monitoring.

Dr. Spencer is the Director of the Pediatric Translational Medicine, Interim Director of Intestinal Ultrasound, and Co-Director of the Mount Sinai IBD-Dermatology Clinic, an innovative multidisciplinary program for children with overlapping gastrointestinal and dermatologic immune-mediated diseases. She also founded and directs the first-ever IBD Prevention Program, which provides proactive care for children and adults at high risk of developing IBD.

Her research leverages large-scale biorepositories and real-world data to evaluate treatment effectiveness and safety in pediatric IBD. She serves as an investigator on PCORI- and NIH-funded studies, including COMPARE, and leads national efforts to standardize intestinal ultrasound training and care pathways. She contributes to international pediatric IBD guideline development.

Dr. Spencer received her MD with honors (AOA, GHHS) from Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed her pediatric residency at UCLA, followed by pediatric gastroenterology and advanced IBD fellowships and a master’s degree in clinical research at Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine. In 2025 alone, she has received awards for her collaborative research, her communication with patients, and her academic rigor. A pediatric IBD patient herself, she is deeply committed to advancing child-centered innovation in IBD prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.