Asher Kornbluth

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.

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).

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.