Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

2026 Sessions

IBD Treatment 101 Workshop

  • Co-Moderator
    • David Choi, PharmD, BCACP
    • Parambir Dulai, MD

“Mechanisms in Motion” – Basics of Immunology in IBD

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 2:00–2:15 PM
Faculty

Parambir Dulai

MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of GI Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine
Northwestern University

Parambir S. Dulai, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical and research expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Dulai is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize by The Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation that recognizes outstanding achievements in IBD. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University where he also serves as Director of Precision Medicine for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Dulai completed his medical school training at Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. He then went on to complete an NIH sponsored T32 research fellowship and IBD clinical fellowship at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. He spent an additional year of advanced training in clinical trials with Robarts Clinical Trials and in 2019 he was the recipient of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) research scholar award focused on personalized medicine. He has a successful NIH funded research program focused on real world evidence generation, clinical trials, and integrating evolving translational technology into mechanism of action studies.

Starting Advanced Therapies: What Every Clinician Should Do

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 2:15–2:30 PM
Faculty

Adam Cheifetz

MD
Director, Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Dr. Cheifetz is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Medical Director of Infusion Services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also Director of the Harvard Medical School Gastroenterology Clerkship Elective and Associate Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Cheifetz specializes in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory bowel diseases. In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in multiple research projects relating to IBD and has published over 250 articles and chapters on the subject. His research currently focuses on optimizing the use of biologics through the proactive use of drug concentrations and antibodies, and he has published extensively in this area. Dr. Cheifetz was the first to demonstrate that proactive monitoring of infliximab and adalimumab concentrations and dosing to a therapeutic window improves outcomes when compared to standard of care. Dr. Cheifetz lectures nationally and internationally on IBD. Dr. Cheifetz is also actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, and is proud to have trained numerous physicians who now specialize in IBD and direct their own centers.

Q&A

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 2:30–2:40 PM
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Faculty

Adam Cheifetz

MD
Director, Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Dr. Cheifetz is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Medical Director of Infusion Services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also Director of the Harvard Medical School Gastroenterology Clerkship Elective and Associate Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Cheifetz specializes in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory bowel diseases. In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in multiple research projects relating to IBD and has published over 250 articles and chapters on the subject. His research currently focuses on optimizing the use of biologics through the proactive use of drug concentrations and antibodies, and he has published extensively in this area. Dr. Cheifetz was the first to demonstrate that proactive monitoring of infliximab and adalimumab concentrations and dosing to a therapeutic window improves outcomes when compared to standard of care. Dr. Cheifetz lectures nationally and internationally on IBD. Dr. Cheifetz is also actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, and is proud to have trained numerous physicians who now specialize in IBD and direct their own centers.

Faculty

Parambir Dulai

MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of GI Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine
Northwestern University

Parambir S. Dulai, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical and research expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Dulai is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize by The Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation that recognizes outstanding achievements in IBD. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University where he also serves as Director of Precision Medicine for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Dulai completed his medical school training at Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. He then went on to complete an NIH sponsored T32 research fellowship and IBD clinical fellowship at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. He spent an additional year of advanced training in clinical trials with Robarts Clinical Trials and in 2019 he was the recipient of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) research scholar award focused on personalized medicine. He has a successful NIH funded research program focused on real world evidence generation, clinical trials, and integrating evolving translational technology into mechanism of action studies.

Managing the acute flare

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 2:40–2:55 PM
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.

Special Populations: Practical Do’s and Don’ts

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 2:55–3:10 PM
Faculty

Remo Panaccione

MD
Director, IBD Clinic; Assistant Dean of MD Admissions. Professor of Medicine
University of Calgary

Professor Remo Panaccione is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at the University of Calgary, Canada. He serves as the Dean of MD Admissions and Director of the IBD Fellowship Program. He also holds the Crohn’s Colitis Canada Endowed Research Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

He is the 2020 Crohn's Colitis Canada Outstanding Physician of the Year and received the 2024 Crohn’s Colitis Canada Research Leadership Award for his contributions to the field. Since 2020 he has been a Clarivate Research Scholar for being cited in the top one percent of researchers in the world. He has co-authored over 500 manuscripts, 20 book chapters and 825 abstracts, including publications in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, Nature, and Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prof. Panaccione’s main research interest is the design and implementation of clinical trials. He has been the principal investigator on several studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic agents in subjects with IBD.

Q&A

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 3:10–3:20 PM
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Faculty

Remo Panaccione

MD
Director, IBD Clinic; Assistant Dean of MD Admissions. Professor of Medicine
University of Calgary

Professor Remo Panaccione is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at the University of Calgary, Canada. He serves as the Dean of MD Admissions and Director of the IBD Fellowship Program. He also holds the Crohn’s Colitis Canada Endowed Research Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

He is the 2020 Crohn's Colitis Canada Outstanding Physician of the Year and received the 2024 Crohn’s Colitis Canada Research Leadership Award for his contributions to the field. Since 2020 he has been a Clarivate Research Scholar for being cited in the top one percent of researchers in the world. He has co-authored over 500 manuscripts, 20 book chapters and 825 abstracts, including publications in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, Nature, and Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prof. Panaccione’s main research interest is the design and implementation of clinical trials. He has been the principal investigator on several studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic agents in subjects with 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.

“The 7 Most Teachable Cases in IBD”

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 3:20–3:35 PM
Faculty

Edward Loftus

MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF
Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Professor of Gastroenterology
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

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.

“The Insurance Gauntlet” — A Transparent Look at Access Barriers

Presenter

Sunday, December 06 3:35–3:50 PM
Faculty

Payal Kakadiya

PharmD, BCPS, CPP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
UNC Health

Payal Kakadiya received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She went on to complete a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at VCU Health. Payal is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist who started off her career practicing at VCU Health as one of the clinical pharmacy specialists on Internal Medicine services as well as the inpatient Digestive Health service and outpatient GI and Medicine Infusion Clinic. She has now transitioned into her role as the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in the GI/IBD Clinics at UNC Health.

Q&A

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 3:50–4:00 PM
Faculty

Parambir Dulai

MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of GI Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine
Northwestern University

Parambir S. Dulai, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical and research expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Dulai is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize by The Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation that recognizes outstanding achievements in IBD. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University where he also serves as Director of Precision Medicine for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Dulai completed his medical school training at Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. He then went on to complete an NIH sponsored T32 research fellowship and IBD clinical fellowship at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. He spent an additional year of advanced training in clinical trials with Robarts Clinical Trials and in 2019 he was the recipient of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) research scholar award focused on personalized medicine. He has a successful NIH funded research program focused on real world evidence generation, clinical trials, and integrating evolving translational technology into mechanism of action studies.

Faculty

Payal Kakadiya

PharmD, BCPS, CPP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
UNC Health

Payal Kakadiya received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She went on to complete a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at VCU Health. Payal is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist who started off her career practicing at VCU Health as one of the clinical pharmacy specialists on Internal Medicine services as well as the inpatient Digestive Health service and outpatient GI and Medicine Infusion Clinic. She has now transitioned into her role as the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in the GI/IBD Clinics at UNC Health.

Faculty

Edward Loftus

MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF
Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Professor of Gastroenterology
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

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.

IBD Treatment 101 Workshop Reception

Sunday, December 06 4:00–5:00 PM

Q&A

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 2:30–2:40 PM
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Faculty

Adam Cheifetz

MD
Director, Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Dr. Cheifetz is Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Medical Director of Infusion Services at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He is also Director of the Harvard Medical School Gastroenterology Clerkship Elective and Associate Director of the Advanced Fellowship in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dr. Cheifetz specializes in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory bowel diseases. In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in multiple research projects relating to IBD and has published over 250 articles and chapters on the subject. His research currently focuses on optimizing the use of biologics through the proactive use of drug concentrations and antibodies, and he has published extensively in this area. Dr. Cheifetz was the first to demonstrate that proactive monitoring of infliximab and adalimumab concentrations and dosing to a therapeutic window improves outcomes when compared to standard of care. Dr. Cheifetz lectures nationally and internationally on IBD. Dr. Cheifetz is also actively involved in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, and is proud to have trained numerous physicians who now specialize in IBD and direct their own centers.

Faculty

Parambir Dulai

MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of GI Clinical Trials and Precision Medicine
Northwestern University

Parambir S. Dulai, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist with clinical and research expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Dulai is a proud recipient of the 2022 Sherman Emerging Leader Prize by The Bruce and Cynthia Sherman Charitable Foundation that recognizes outstanding achievements in IBD. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University where he also serves as Director of Precision Medicine for the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Dulai completed his medical school training at Dayanand Medical College in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and subsequently completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. He then went on to complete an NIH sponsored T32 research fellowship and IBD clinical fellowship at the University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. He spent an additional year of advanced training in clinical trials with Robarts Clinical Trials and in 2019 he was the recipient of the American Gastroenterology Association (AGA) research scholar award focused on personalized medicine. He has a successful NIH funded research program focused on real world evidence generation, clinical trials, and integrating evolving translational technology into mechanism of action studies.

Q&A

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 3:10–3:20 PM
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Faculty

Remo Panaccione

MD
Director, IBD Clinic; Assistant Dean of MD Admissions. Professor of Medicine
University of Calgary

Professor Remo Panaccione is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at the University of Calgary, Canada. He serves as the Dean of MD Admissions and Director of the IBD Fellowship Program. He also holds the Crohn’s Colitis Canada Endowed Research Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

He is the 2020 Crohn's Colitis Canada Outstanding Physician of the Year and received the 2024 Crohn’s Colitis Canada Research Leadership Award for his contributions to the field. Since 2020 he has been a Clarivate Research Scholar for being cited in the top one percent of researchers in the world. He has co-authored over 500 manuscripts, 20 book chapters and 825 abstracts, including publications in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, Nature, and Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prof. Panaccione’s main research interest is the design and implementation of clinical trials. He has been the principal investigator on several studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic agents in subjects with 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 panel with Q&A: Career development potpourri

Moderator

Panelist

Sunday, December 06 7:20–7:40 PM
Faculty

Lisa Malter

MD, FACG
Professor of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Lisa Malter, MD, FACG, is a Professor of Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine, the Director of Education for the NYU IBD Center and Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic at the Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City. Board-certified in Gastroenterology, Dr. Malter’s patient practice is focused primarily on inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and she has pioneered access to care for the underserved patient population at Bellevue. Dr. Malter’s academic interests include the study of inflammatory bowel disease, patient safety, and fellowship education. Dr. Malter teaches at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and has published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases,  The American Journal of Gastroenterology and CC360. She is a member of ACG, AGA, and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She serves as the Editor of the ACG Universe, is a member of the ACG Training Committee, the ACG Education Task Force, and is a faculty advisor for the Crohn's &Colitis Foundation's Greater New York Fellows’ Education Committee. She created and created and directs IBD 101, a first year fellows course on IBD, in collaboration with NYU and the ACG.  Dr. Malter received her medical degree from Rosalind Franklin University/Chicago Medical School, completed her internal medicine internship and residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and went on to complete a Gastroenterology fellowship at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Faculty

Oriana Damas

MD, MSCTI
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of Translational Studies for the Crohn's and Colitis Center
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Oriana M. Damas, MD, MSCTI, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Translational Studies for the Crohn’s and Colitis Center. Dr. Damas earned her medical degree from the University of Miami and completed her training in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Her clinical practice and research focus on the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dr. Damas has conducted extensive research on environmental factors and the epidemiology of IBD. Her contributions to the field have earned her accolades, including the DREAM Award in recognition of her work with the Hispanic IBD community.

Dr. Damas has significant experience in running clinical trials, including innovative dietary trials, aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with IBD through lifestyle and dietary modifications. She is an NIH-funded researcher and currently serves as the principal investigator for a study developing an anti-inflammatory South Florida diet for IBD patients, which incorporates elements of traditional Latin foods from the region.

She has authored numerous original research articles, and she serves on the Editorial Boards of the prestigious Gastroenterology journal and Crohn’s & Colitis 360. In addition to her research, Dr. Damas is recognized as a national and international leader in her field. She is frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences and is an active member of the AGA n and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.

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

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

Ryan Ungaro

MD, MS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Dr. Ryan Ungaro is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Ungaro received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he graduated Alpha Omega Alpha with Distinction in Research. He completed his internal medicine training and served as chief resident at the Mount Sinai Medical Center then went on to complete fellowship training in gastroenterology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center and served as chief gastroenterology fellow. Dr. Ungaro received training in translational inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellow and completed a Masters in Biostatistics and Clinical Research Methods at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr. Ungaro specializes in the care of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. He is Director of the Comprehensive Care for the Recently Diagnosed IBD Patient (COMPASS-IBD) Program at the Mount Sinai IBD Clinical Center. This program provides interdisciplinary care for recently diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. His research focuses on understanding early IBD including the impact of early intervention on IBD outcomes and precision medicine approaches to improve risk stratification and optimization of therapy for recently diagnosed IBD patients. His work is supported by an NIH K23 Career Development Award. He is also co-founder of the SECURE-IBD Registry which aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on IBD patients.

Panel: Unlocking the Full Potential of IBD Pharmacist-led Clinical Integration

Panelist

Team Leader

Tuesday, December 08 6:00–6:30 PM
Faculty

Shubha Bhat

PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Gastroenterology
Cleveland Clinic

Shubha Bhat is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Following graduation, she completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Boston Medical Center, a PGY2 residency in Ambulatory Care at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Health Outcomes Research Fellowship at the University of Colorado.
Dr. Bhat maintains an active clinical practice focused on optimizing medication therapy for patients with digestive diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Her responsibilities include delivering comprehensive medication eudcation, monitoring therapeutic outcomes, and advancing medication safety initiatives. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Bhat is deeply committed to education and research. She actively precepts pharmacy trainees and leads research initatives centered on the impact of pharmacists on patient outcomes and optimziation of medication safety and access in inflammatory bowel disease.

Faculty

Marina Ivanov

PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Specialist Pharmacist
Mayo Clinic Arizona

Marina Ivanov, Pharm.D., BCACP, BCPS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at Mayo Clinic–Arizona. She is a clinical leader within a multidisciplinary IBD care team, practicing under a Collaborative Practice Agreement and specializing in the management of complex and severe IBD, with a focus on treat‑to‑target strategies and expanding patient access to advanced therapies. Dr. Ivanov plays a key role in graduate medical education as a residency program developer and preceptor and was recognized with the 2023 Joe L. Rogers Allied Health Teacher of the Year Award. Locally and nationally, she is actively engaged in advancing the role of pharmacists in IBD care, promoting their integration within IBD teams to enhance medication safety, and patient outcomes.

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

Jennifer Seminerio-Diehl

MD
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Pharmacy Track

  • Co-Moderator
    • David Choi, PharmD, BCACP
    • Marina Ivanov, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP

Panel: Unlocking the Full Potential of IBD Pharmacist-led Clinical Integration

Panelist

Team Leader

Tuesday, December 08 6:00–6:30 PM
Faculty

Shubha Bhat

PharmD, MS, FCCP, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Gastroenterology
Cleveland Clinic

Shubha Bhat is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Following graduation, she completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency at Boston Medical Center, a PGY2 residency in Ambulatory Care at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Health Outcomes Research Fellowship at the University of Colorado.
Dr. Bhat maintains an active clinical practice focused on optimizing medication therapy for patients with digestive diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Her responsibilities include delivering comprehensive medication eudcation, monitoring therapeutic outcomes, and advancing medication safety initiatives. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Bhat is deeply committed to education and research. She actively precepts pharmacy trainees and leads research initatives centered on the impact of pharmacists on patient outcomes and optimziation of medication safety and access in inflammatory bowel disease.

Faculty

Marina Ivanov

PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Specialist Pharmacist
Mayo Clinic Arizona

Marina Ivanov, Pharm.D., BCACP, BCPS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at Mayo Clinic–Arizona. She is a clinical leader within a multidisciplinary IBD care team, practicing under a Collaborative Practice Agreement and specializing in the management of complex and severe IBD, with a focus on treat‑to‑target strategies and expanding patient access to advanced therapies. Dr. Ivanov plays a key role in graduate medical education as a residency program developer and preceptor and was recognized with the 2023 Joe L. Rogers Allied Health Teacher of the Year Award. Locally and nationally, she is actively engaged in advancing the role of pharmacists in IBD care, promoting their integration within IBD teams to enhance medication safety, and patient outcomes.

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

Jennifer Seminerio-Diehl

MD
Faculty

David Choi

PharmD, BCACP
Associate Director
University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

David Choi completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy. He went on to complete his PGY1 Pharmacy Residency and PGY2 Ambulatory residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently an Associate Director at University of Chicago Medicine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. He is very excited about advocating for increased pharmacists’ role in gastroenterology/hepatology as well as importance for patient advocacy in receiving the care they require. He feels passionately about treat to target to improve patient care and research related to improving patient outcomes.

Accelerating Advanced IBD Therapy Access: Strategic Review of Insurance Complexities and Biosimilar Conversions (Case-Based)

Presenter

Tuesday, December 08 6:30–7:00 PM
Faculty

Payal Kakadiya

PharmD, BCPS, CPP
Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
UNC Health

Payal Kakadiya received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy. She went on to complete a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at VCU Health. Payal is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist who started off her career practicing at VCU Health as one of the clinical pharmacy specialists on Internal Medicine services as well as the inpatient Digestive Health service and outpatient GI and Medicine Infusion Clinic. She has now transitioned into her role as the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in the GI/IBD Clinics at UNC Health.

Debate: Dual Advanced Therapy for Management of IBD: Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze?

Co-Presenter

Tuesday, December 08 7:00–7:30 PM
Faculty

Benjamin Cohen

MD, MAS, AGAF, FCCF
Co-Section Head and Clinical Director for IBD
Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Cohen is a Staff Physician and Co-Section Head and Clinical Director for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. Throughout his career, Dr. Cohen has merged clinical care with participation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical research. His primary research interest has been centered on the safety of biologic medications in the peri-operative period for which he led PUCCINI, a large multi-center clinical study. Dr. Cohen has also been a site primary investigator on Phase 3 IBD pharmaceutical clinical trials and collaborative investigator initiated studies. In addition to his research interests, Dr. Cohen also has a strong commitment to IBD education. He has been a member of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Professional Education Committee and a co-founder and former chair of Rising Educators Academics and Clinicians Helping IBD (REACH-IBD); a special committee within the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America for trainees and junior faculty to promote collaboration, mentorship, and career advancement. The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation recognized him for his leadership with the Rising Star award in 2018. He currently serves on the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation NSAC as the Chair of Professional Membership. Dr. Cohen has also been an active member of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) serving on both the Education and Training Committee and Clinical Guidelines Committee.

Faculty

Christina Ha

MD, FACG, AGAF
Director, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Section
Mayo Clinic Scottsdale

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.

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