1. No category

Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition
Fellowship Program
Chicago, IL
Jeffrey B. Brown, MD
Director, Fellowship Training Program
Barry K. Wershil, MD
Division Head,
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Program Contact information:
Phone: 312.227.4591
Email: [email protected]
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Fellowship Program
Table of Contents
Welcome from Dr. Wershil
3
About Our Fellowship Program
4-5
Program Overview
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
Additional Training Opportunities
Academic Program
4
4
4
4
5
5
About Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
6
About the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
7-17
Division Overview
Faculty Members
Fellows
Clinical Nursing and Nutrition Staff
Research
Children’s Hospital of Chicago Research Center
Dr. Wershil’s Lab
Dr. Whitington’s Lab
Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research
Applying to the Program
7
8-15
16
17
18-19
18
18
19
19
20
Welcome from Dr. Wershil
Greetings, and thank you for your interest in our Fellowship Program
in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Ann &
Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern
University’s McGaw Medical Center. We are proud of our recent
ranking as 8th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for pediatric
gastroenterology. Our mission is to train the future academic and
clinical leaders in pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology. In order
to do this, we developed a curriculum that provides an intensive and
comprehensive exposure to all the essential elements required of
today’s active subspecialist. The first year is predominantly clinical
with an exposure to a vast array of gastrointestinal and liver diseases.
As well, the fellow will acquire the procedure skills necessary for competency. While concentrating on clinical activity, we work with the fellows throughout the first year to develop
their individualized agendas for the more research-oriented activities of the second and third years. The Division,
Department, and Northwestern Medical Center offer a tremendous depth of activities in both basic and clinical
research to draw upon. Our job is to help guide the fellows to the mentors that will best serve their individual
goals. In the end, we take great pride in the accomplishments of our fellows and their professional development
as they move on to successful careers.
We look forward to the selection process for the coming year and encourage you to contact us with any questions or issues that might arise. Again thank you for considering our program and the best of luck in your future
endeavors.
Barry K. Wershil, MD
Division Head, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
About Our Fellowship Program
Program Overview
The educational mission of the Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Training Program is to provide
trainees with the experiences necessary to become competent clinical gastroenterologists and hepatologists, and in the process
define their career paths and goals. To do this, we focus on presenting a comprehensive clinical, educational, procedural, and research exposure over the course of the program. This fellowship is fully accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and meets the training requirements of the American Board of Pediatrics for subspecialty certification in
Pediatric Gastroenterology.
The three year fellowship program consists of 12 months of clinical education and 24 months of research experience. The first
year of the program predominantly involves the acquisition of clinical and procedural skills and the participation in teaching responsibilities. But the trainee is also introduced to various aspects of clinical and basic research methodology. Over the next two
years, there is an increase in research time, while new teaching and administrative tasks are assumed. Some activities are common to all years of fellowship training. Throughout the three years, fellows are required to attend the key departmental, division,
and joint fellowship conferences as part of their core educational experience. Administrative responsibilities include scheduling
some of these educational activities and maintaining the teaching file for the ambulatory practice.
First Year
During the first year of fellowship, fellows spend the majority of their time involved in the inpatient and outpatient services.
First year fellows have primary clinical responsibility for inpatients (either on the GI or liver service). In addition, fellows perform
consultations, attend outpatient clinics, and participate in any and all procedures deemed necessary on patients they evaluate
on the inpatient service or in clinic. Fellows participate in weekly divisional conferences and are expected to present in these
conferences on average twice per month. During the second half of the year, the fellows begin the process of formulating their
individualized research agenda for the second and third years, including identification of a mentor, defining a research project,
establishing a scholarly oversight committee, and if necessary, formulate an IRB proposal.
Inpatient Service: 11 months
Call: 8-10 weeks of call per academic year
Clinics: 2-3 sessions per week
Second Year
The majority of time in the second year is devoted to research. Fellows begin work on the project chosen in the latter part of
their first year and are encouraged to write a review article and/or case report during the second year of fellowship. Some additional administrative duties are assigned to second year fellows such as scheduling and organizing the monthly Pathology
and Radiology Conferences. Fellows see new patients as well as follow established patients in GI clinic, and attend subspecialty
clinics in IBD and intestinal rehabilitation. Their inpatient responsibilities are limited to approximately 4-6 weeks during the year.
Fellows participate in any and all procedures deemed necessary on their patients. Second year fellows have increased responsibility for teaching residents rotating on the GI service, including providing occasional didactic sessions on common GI problems.
Inpatient Service: 4-6 weeks per academic year
Call: 8-10 weeks of call per academic year
Clinics: 2 sessions per week
Third Year
The emphasis for the third year remains research. Fellows are expected to have at least one research project ready to be submitted as an abstract and presented at a national meeting. Fellows are also encouraged to write and submit a research grant.
Fellows continue to see new and established patients in their GI clinic, and have subspecialty clinic exposure in motility and
anorectal anomalies. There is flexibility to allow third year fellows to attend clinical experience approximate with their career
goals (i.e. hepatology). They have inpatient service for 2-4 weeks during the year. Fellows participate in any and all procedures
deemed necessary on their patients. Third year fellows have even greater responsibility for teaching residents and medical students rotating through the division. Senior fellows are often called upon to give lectures to the pediatric residents and students
and many continue as faculty facilitators at the medical school as well.
Inpatient Service: 2-4 weeks per academic year
Call: 8-10 weeks of call per academic year
Clinics: 2 sessions per week
Page 4
About Our Fellowship Program
Additional Training Opportunities
We are one of the few programs in the country that offer an accredited Pediatric Transplant Hepatology fellowship under the
direction of Dr. Estella Alonso. This training program is not part of the core Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship and requires completion of a three-year Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship and an application to the program, which is reviewed on a competitive basis. This additional year of training is recommended for individuals interested in a
career in Hepatology and Liver Transplantation.
This one-year fellowship is divided into six months of inpatient coverage on the Hepatology/Transplant service, and six months
dedicated to a clinical or basic research project in the area of Hepatology or Transplantation Medicine. Throughout the year, the
fellow will participate in weekly Hepatology and Liver Transplant clinics, and play an active role in the pre-operative evaluation
of patients for liver transplant as well as the post-operative management. They will also be called upon to give lectures to the
pediatric GI fellows, residents and medical students throughout the duration of this fellowship.
Academic Program
The weekly “Fellows Conference” is the principal meeting for the purpose of stimulating the active interchange of information
and ideas among the fellows. The program director directs the conference and any faculty and staff are welcomed to attend.
Case related discussion, literature reviews, research topics, etc. take place in round-table fashion. The topics are known and
literature is assigned well in advance, so the meeting can serve to discuss conflicting data and to cement ideas. All fellows are
required to attend.
Fellows also participate in the following other conferences:
Divisional Conferences:
Journal Club – once per month
Clinical Subject Review – once per month
Research Conference – once per month
Radiology Conference – once per month
Clinical Case Conference – once per month
GI Pathology Conference – twice per month
Hepatology Pathology Conference – once per month
Transplant Team Meeting – weekly
Transplant M&M – monthly
Faculty Peer Review (case conference) – quarterly
Joint Adult/Pediatric GI Topic Conference – weekly
Departmental Conferences:
Pediatric Grand Rounds – weekly
Firm Rounds – weekly
Our philosophy is that writing manuscripts and grants at an early stage is absolutely essential to the development of an academic career. Fellows are urged to write and publish clinically-oriented manuscripts during the clinical year and to publish results of research projects. Most fellows publish 2-4 clinical papers, including case reports and clinical studies, and 1-2 designed
research papers, by the completion of fellowship.
Teaching skills are improved by giving lectures to students and residents. A member of the faculty often sits in on these lectures to provide feedback on the quality and method of presentation. Fellows also present regularly at divisional conferences
(i.e., journal club, clinical case conferences, and research conferences) that serve to strengthen skills in verbal presentation that
would lead to presenting at one or more national meetings.
Page 5
About Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s
Hospital of Chicago
On Saturday, June 9, 2012, Children’s Memorial’s main hospital moved to 225 E. Chicago Avenue,
and became Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. This new 23-story, state-of-the-art
hospital helps further our mission to provide superior care to the region’s most critically ill and injured
children. Lurie Children’s:
■ Is the only hospital in Illinois that is included in the honor roll of Best Children’s Hospitals by
U.S. News & World Report
■ Is licensed for 288 beds and all private rooms
■ Has an emergency department with 45 beds (increased from 25 beds) to better respond to regional
demands and includes three trauma/procedure rooms, four nurse triage rooms, two diagnostic
radiology rooms and one dedicated CT scanner.
■ Is designed to increase patient safety, accommodate new technology and make care more efficient
Moving to the downtown Chicago campus of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine increases clinical, academic
and research opportunities to lead to better care for children.
It also:
■ Helps us recruit top pediatric
specialists to Chicago
■ Encourages child and adult health
researchers to work closer together
■ Allows faster transport for
critically-ill newborns from Prentice
Women’s Hospital – the largest
birthing center in Illinois
■ Improves transition of our patients
with chronic conditions into adult
care at Northwestern Memorial
Hospital and the Rehabilitation
Institute of Chicago
Lurie Children’s is located at 225 E.
Chicago Avenue between Chicago
Avenue and Superior Street, just west
of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s
Prentice Women’s Hospital. Parking
for patients and visitors is available in
the Huron-Superior parking garage,
which is just across Superior Street
from the hospital. There is a
pedestrian overpass to provide access
to/from the Huron-Superior parking
garage. With validation, parking costs
$10 for 0-7 hours and $15 for more
than 7 hours.
For more information on parking, driving directions, and public transportation options, please visit:
http://www.luriechildrens.org/en-us/care-services/parking-locations/Pages/lurie-childrens.aspx
Page 6
About the Divison of Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition
Divisional Overview
The Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s
Hospital of Chicago was recently ranked 8th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for pediatric
gastroenterology. While patient care is paramount, we are also committed to the education and
professional development of our fellows. There are 15 full time attending physicians in the division and
all hold faculty appointments within the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine.
The senior faculty members collectively have more than
60 years of experience teaching in this subspecialty. Dr. Barry K. Wershil, Division
Head, has more than 25 years of experience in training Pediatric Gastroenterology
fellows. Dr. Peter F. Whitington, Director of the Siragusa Transplantation Center,
is a leader in the field of Pediatric Hepatology and Transplant Hepatology and has
been training subspecialists for more than 30 years. Dr. Estella M. Alonso,
Medical Director of Liver Transplantation, provides more than 20 years of
experienced leadership and education in the field of Pediatric Hepatology and
Liver Transplantation. The division also has an experienced and dedicated nursing
and clinical nutrition staff.
The inpatient services are divided into Gastroenterology/Nutrition and
Hepatology. On the Gastroenterology service, the typical daily census is 6-12
patients, and the service averages 6-8 consults per week. The average daily
census on the Hepatology inpatient service is 4-8 patients, including 2-4 post-transplant patients, and the service averages
about 2-4 consults per week.
The division has approximately 6,000 patient visits in the outpatient setting per year. About two-thirds of those patients are
from the Chicago/upper Midwest region, while the rest are from a wide geographic area, including many national and
international referrals. Pediatricians and Gastroenterologists refer the majority of patients for tertiary services. Some of the
more common diagnoses encountered in our general GI clinics are gastroesophageal reflux, failure to thrive, recurrent
abdominal pain, constipation, celiac disease, and allergic bowel disorder.
We also have subspecialty clinics in functional gastrointestinal
and motility disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic
esophagitis and allergic bowel disease, and intestinal failure. The
hepatology outpatient clinic sees an incredible array of liver
diseases as it is the only specialized clinic in Illinois and is a
referral center for the Midwest.
The main hospital is now located in the downtown Streeterville
neighborhood, and we still have an outpatient center located in
the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago. Fellows attend
outpatient clinics at those two locations, and there is shuttle
service between the main hospital and outpatient center. The
Division also has satellite gastroenterology outpatient clinics in
six suburban partner locations: Arlington Heights, Glenview, Lake
Forest, Tinley Park, Westchester, and Winfield.
Page 7
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s
Hospital of Chicago
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Faculty Members
Barry K. Wershil, MD
Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Division Head, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Wershil completed a Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
He completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Children’s Hospital in
Boston, MA, and a Research Fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.
Clinical Interests: Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Food Allergy
Research Interests: Eosinophilic Esophagitis, Mast cell function in the GI tract
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Kagalwalla AF, Amsden K, Shah A, Ritz S, Manuel-Rubio M, Dunne K, Nelson SP, Wershil BK, Melin-Aldana H. Cow’s milk
elimination: A novel dietary approach to treat eosinophilic esophagitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jul 19 [epub ahead of
print].
2. Rothenberg ME, Aceves S, Bonis PA, Collins MH, Gonsalves N, Gupta SK, Hirano I, Liacouras CA, Putnam PE, Spergel JM,
Straumann A, Wershil BK, Furuta GT. Working with the US Food and Drug Adminstration: Progress and timelines in
understanding and treating patients with eosinophilic esophagitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012;130:617-9.
3. Liacouras CA, Furuta GT, Hirano I, Atkins D, Attwood SE, Bonis PA, Burks AW, Chehade M, Collins MH, Dellon ES, Dohil R, Falk
GW, Gonsalves N, Gupta SK, Katzka DA, Lucendo AJ, Markowitz JE, Noel RJ, Odze RD, Putnam PE, Richter JE, Romero Y, Ruchelli
E, Sampson HA, Schoepfer A, Shaheen NJ, Sicherer SH, Spechler S, Spergel JM, Straumann A, Wershil BK, Rothenberg ME, Aceves
SS. Eosinophilic esophagitis: Update consensus recommendations for children and adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;128:3-20.
4. Shrestha S, Wershil B, Sarwark JF, Niewold TB, Philipp T, Pachman LM. Lesional and nonlesional skin from patients with
untreated juvenile dermatomyositis displays increased numbers of mast cells and mature plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Arthritis
Rheum. 2010;62:2813-22.
5. Ding H, Nedrud JG, Wershil B, Redline RW, Blanchard TG, Czinn SJ. Partial protection against Helicobacter pylori in the absence
of mast cells in mice. Infect Immun. 2009;77:5543-50.
Jeffrey B. Brown, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Fellowship Training Program, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Brown completed a Pediatric Residency program and Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at Lurie Children’s
(formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests : Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Research interests: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, specifically laboratory investigation of intestinal lymphocyte trafficking in models
of inflammatory bowel disease and the relationship of inflammation, intestinal stem cells, and colon cancer.
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Brown JB, Cheresh P, Zhang Z, Ryu H, Managlia E, Barrett TA. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 is needed for sequential
recruitment of T-helper 1 (Th1) and local generation of Th17 T cells in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis.
2011 Aug 29 [epub ahead of print]
2. Brown JB, Cheresh P, Goretsky T, Managlia E, Grimm GR, Ryu H, Zadeh M, Dirisina R, Barrett TA. Epithelial
phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase signaling is required for �-catenin activation and host defense against Citrobacter rodentium
infection. Infect Immun. 2011;79:1863-72.
3. Chogle A, Bu HF, Wang X, Brown JB, Chou PM, Tan XD. Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 is a critical protein for healing of dextran
sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis in mice. Mol Med. 2011;17:502-7.
4. Mohamadzadeh M, Pfeiler EA, Brown JB, Zadeh M, Gramarossa M, Managlia E, Bere P, Sarraj B, Khan MW, Pakanati KC, Ansari
MJ, O’Flaherty S, Barrett T, Klaenhammer TR. Regulation of induced colonic inflammation by Lactobacillus acidophilus deficient in
lipoteichoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011, 108 Suppl 1:4623-30.
5. Brown JB, Barrett TA. P110� mutant mice reveal central role for PI3K signaling in intestinal macrophages. Gastroenterology.
2010;139:1451-3.
Page 8
Faculty Members
Estella M. Alonso, MD
Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Medical Director of Liver Transplantation, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Alonso completed a Pediatric Residency program at Lurie Children’s (formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) in
Chicago, IL. She completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at the University of Chicago in Chicago, IL, and
a Research Fellowship in the Liver Research Laboratory at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA.
Clinical interests: Liver disease and transplantation, acute liver failure, biliary atresia, and primary sclerosing cholangitis
Research interests: Rehabilitation and outcome after liver transplantation, acute liver failure, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and
transplant tolerance
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Squires RH, Dhawan A, Alonso E, Narkewicz MR, Shneider BL, Rodriguez-Baez N, Olio DD, Karpen S, Bucuvalas J, Lobritto S, Rand
E, Rosenthal P, Horslen S, Ng V, Subbarao G, Kerkar N, Rudnick D, James Lopez M, Schwarz K, Romero R, Elisofon S, Doo E,
Robuck PR, Lawlor S, Belle SH; for the Pediatric Acute Liver Failure Study Group. Intravenous N-acetylcysteine in pediatric
patients with non-acetaminophen acute liver failure: A placebo-controlled clinical trial. Hepatology. 2012 Epub ahead of print.
2. Lerret SM, Menendez J, Weckwerth J, Lokar J, Mitchell J, Alonso EM. Essential components of transition to adult transplant
services: the transplant coordinators’ perspective. Prog Transplant. 2012;22:252-8.
3. Kamath BM, Yin W, Miller H, Anand R, Rand EB, Alonso E, Bucuvalas J; for Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation. Outcomes
of liver transplantation for patients with alagille syndrome: The studies of pediatric liver transplantation experience. Liver
Transpl. 2012;18:940-8.
4. Ekong UD, Mathew J, Melin-Aldana H, Wang D, Alonso EM. Successful resolution of inflammation and increased regulatory T cells
in sirolimus-treated post-transplant allograft hepatitis. Pediatr Transplant. 2012;16:165-75.
5. Feng S, Ekong UD, Lobritto SJ, Demetris AJ, Roberts JP, Rosenthal P, Alonso EM, Philogene MC, Ikle D, Poole KM, Bridges ND,
Turka LA, Tchao NK. Complete immunosuppression withdrawal and subsequent allograft function among pediatric recipients of
parental living donor liver transplants. JAMA. 2012;307:283-93.
Lee Bass, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Director of Endoscopy and Clinical Practice Director, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Bass completed a Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
He completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at Lurie Children’s (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests: Gastroesophageal reflux, cholestatic liver disease, primary sclerosing cholangitis with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, autoimmune liver disease, portal hypertension, therapeutic endoscopy, Capsule endoscopy
Research interests: Novel uses of capsule endoscopy, innovative teaching approaches of endoscopy to trainees
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Shneider BL, Abel B, Haber B, Karpen SJ, Magee JC, Romero R, Schwarz K, Bass LM, Kerkar N, Miethke AG, Rosenthal P, Turmelle
Y, Robuck PR, Sokol RJ; for the Childhood Liver Disease Research and Education Network (ChiLDREN). Cross-sectional Multicenter Analysis of Portal Hypertension in 163 Children and Young Adults with Biliary Atresia. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012
Aug 16. [Epub ahead of print]
2. Bass LM, Barsness K, Benya E, Proytcheva M, Kagalwalla A. Mesenteric Castleman’s Disease detected by Capsule Endoscopy. J
Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Bass LM, Misiewicz L. Use of a Real Time Viewer for Endoscopic Deployment of Capsule Endoscope in the Pediatric Population. J
Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jun 8. [Epub ahead of print]
4. Omenetti A, Bass LM, Anders RA, Clemente MG, Francis H, Guy CD, McCall S, Choi SS, Alpini G, Schwarz KB, Diehl AM,
Whitington PF. Hedgehog activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, and biliary dysmorphogenesis in biliary atresia.
Hepatology. 2011;53:1246-58.
5. Bass LM, Patil D, Rao MS, Green RM, Whitington PF. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma in type 2 progressive familial intrahepatic
cholestasis. BMC Gastroenterol. 2010;10:30.
Page 9
Faculty Members
Ashish Chogle, MD, MPH
Instructor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Chogle completed his residency in General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital at SUNY Downstate and
fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Lurie Children’s Hospital (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL. Dr. Chogle has helped build our center of excellence for children
with gastrointestinal motility and functional bowel disorders.
Clinical interests: Swallowing disorders, dysphagia, esophageal achalasia, refractory nausea, gastroparesis, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, chronic constipation, anal dysfunction, cyclic vomiting syndrome, functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. Comprehensive holistic approach in treatment of functional GI disorders including use of natural medications and psychotherapy.
Research interests: Gastrointestinal motility and functional disorders.
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Saps M, Adams P, Bonilla S, Chogle A, Nichols-Vinueza D. Parental report of abdominal pain and abdominal pain-related
functional gastrointestinal disorders: a community survey. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jun 28, epub ahead of print.
2. Chogle A, Sztainberg M, Bass L, Youssef NN, Miranda A, Nurko S, Hyman P, Cocjin J, Di Lorenzo C, Saps M. Accuracy of pain recall
in children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012, 55:288-291.
3. Chogle A, Bu HF, Wang X, Brown JB, Chou PM, Tan XD. Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 is a critical protein for healing of dextran
sodium sulfate-induced acute colitis in mice. Mol Med. 2011, 17(5-6):502-7.
4. Saps M, Dhroove G, Chogle A. Henoch-schonlein purpura leads to functional gastrointestinal disorders. Dig Dis Sci. 2011,
56:1789-93.
Valeria C. Cohran, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Medical Director, Small Bowel Transplantation and Intestinal Rehabilitation Program
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Cohran completed a Pediatric Residency program, Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship, and an Advanced
Clinical Research Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, OH.
Clinical Interests: Intestinal rehabilitation and transplantation
Research Interests: Outcomes in transplantation, specifically stem cell activation and its role in intestinal adaptation
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Mazariegos GV, Superina R, Rudolph J, Cohran V, Burns RC, Bond GJ, Jaffe R, Sindhi R. Current status of pediatric intestinal
failure, rehabilitation, and transplantation: summary of a colloquium. Transplantation. 2011, 92:1173-80.
2. Mohamadzadeh M, Durmaz E, Zadeh M, Pakanati KC, Gramarossa M, Cohran V, Klaenhammer TR. Targeted expression of anthrax
protective antigen by Lactobacillus gasseri as an anthrax vaccine. Future Microbiol. 2010, 5:1289-96.
3. Listernick R, Katz B, Fuleihan R, Cohran V, Liem R, Morgan E, Fangusaro J, Melin-Aldana H. A 17-year-old boy with fever, sore
throat, and headache. Pediatr Ann. 2009, 38:9-10.
4. Putchakayala K, Polensky S, Fitzhugh J, Cohran V, Buchman A, Fryer J. An evaluation of the model for end-stage liver disease and
serum C-reactive protein as prognostic markers in intestinal failure patients on parenteral nutrition. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr.
2009, 33:55-61.
5. Eisengart LJ, Chou PM, Iyer K, Cohran V, Rajaram V. Rotavirus infection in small bowel transplant: a histologic comparison with
acute cellular rejection. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2009, 12:85-8.
Page 10
Faculty Members
Mark H. Fishbein, MD
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Fishbein completed both a Pediatric Residency program and Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at the
University of Chicago in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests: Feeding aversion and feeding disorders
Research interests: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, quality of life for families of children with feeding disorders, and the
relationship between grocery shopping and obesity
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Fishbein M, Flock S, and Benton K. Self-Assessment of Pediatric Feeding Therapists in the State of Illinois. (accepted for
publication) ASHA SIG 13 (Perspectives) 2013
2. Fishbein M, Fraker C, Walbert L, Branham C, and Scarborough D. The Incidence of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia In Infants With
GERD-like Symptoms. (accepted for publication) JPEN 2012
3. Guy CD, Suzuki A, Zdanowicz M, Abdelmalek MF, Burchette J, Unalp A, Diehl AM; NASH CRN. Hedgehog pathway activation
parallels histologic severity of injury and fibrosis in human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology. 2012;55:1711-21.
4. Brunt EM, Kleiner DE, Wilson LA, Belt P, Neuschwander-Tetri BA; NASH Clinical Research Network (CRN). Nonalcoholic fatty
liver disease (NAFLD) activity score and the histopathologic diagnosis in NAFLD: distinct clinicopathologic meanings.
Hepatology. 2011;53:810-20.
5. Fishbein MH, Mogren C, Gleason T, Stevens WR. Relationship of hepatic steatosis to adipose tissue distribution in pediatric non
alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006;42:83-8.
Maria T. Greene, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Greene completed a Pediatric Residency program at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ.
She completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at Lurie Children’s
(formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests: Feeding/swallowing difficulties, failure to thrive/growth failure, pancreatic disorders
Research interests: Dysphagia, swallowing disorders
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Greene MT, Whitington PF. Outcomes in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2009;11:248-51.
2. Greene MT, Ercolini AM, DeGutes M, Miller SD. Differential induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by
myelin basic protein molecular mimics in mice humanized for HLA-DR2 and an MBP(85-99)-specific T cell receptor.
J Autoimmun. 2008;31:399-407.
3. Triantafyllapoulou M, Whitington PF, Melin-Aldana H, Benya EC, and Brickman W. Hepatic adenoma in an adolescent with
elevated androgen levels. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44:640-2.
4. Teitelbaum J, Saeed S, Triantafyllopoulou M, Daum F. Infliximab in pediatric Crohn’s disease patients with entervesicular fistulas:
a case series. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2007;44:279-82.
Page 11
Faculty Members
Amir Kagalwalla, MD
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Kagalwalla completed a Pediatric Residency program and a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at Children’s
Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, Michigan.
Clinical interests: Food Allergies
Research interests: Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Furuta GT, Kagalwalla AF, Lee JJ, Alumkal P, Maybruck BT, Fillon S, Masterson JC, Ochkur S, Protheroe C, Moore W, Pan Z,
Amsden K, Robinson Z, Capocelli K, Mukkada V, Atkins D, Fleischer D, Hosford L, Kwatia MA, Schroeder S, Kelly C, Lovell M,
Melin-Aldana H, Ackerman SJ. The oesophageal string test: A novel, minimally invasive method measures mucosal inflammation
in eosinophilic oesophagitis. Gut. 2012 Aug 15. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Kagalwalla AF, Amsden K, Shah A, Ritz S, Manuel-Rubio M, Dunne K, Nelson SP, Wershil BK, Melin-Aldana H. Cow’s milk
elimination: A novel dietary approach to treat esoinophilic esophagitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jul 19. [Epub ahead of
print].
3. Kagalwalla AF, Akhtar N, Woodruff SA, Rea BA, Masterson JC, Mukkada V, Parashette KR, Du J, Fillon S, Protheroe CA, Lee JJ,
Amsden K, Melin-Aldana H, Capocelli KE, Furuta GT, Ackerman SJ. Eosinophilic esophagitis: Epithelial mesenchymal transition
contributes to esophageal remodeling and reverses with treatment. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012;129:1387-1396.
4. Kagalwalla AF, Shah A, Li BU, Sentongo TA, Ritz S, Manuel-Rubio M, Jacques K, Wang D, Melin-Aldana H, Nelson SP.
Identification of specific foods responsible for inflammation in children with eosinophilic esophagitis successfully treated with
empiric elimination diet. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011;53:145-9.
5. Shah A, Kagalwalla AF, Gonsalves N, Melin-Aldana H, Li BU, Hirano I. Histopathologic variability in children with eosinophilic
esophagitis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009;104:716-21.
Saeed Mohammad, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Mohammad completed a Pediatric Residency program at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Nashville, TN. He
completed fellowships in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology at Lurie Children’s (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests: Childhood liver disease and transplantation, acute liver failure, cholestatic liver disease.
Research interests: Long term outcomes after liver transplantation, Comparative effectiveness research, Transition of care
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Mohammad S, Hormaza L, Neighbors K, Boone P, Tierney M, Azzam RK, Butt Z, Alonso EM. Health status in young adults two
decades after pediatric liver transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2012;12:1486-95.
2. Chaudhury S, Hormaza L, Mohammad S, Lokar J, Ekong U, Alonso EM, Wainwright MS, Kletzel M, Whitington PF. Liver
transplantation followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for atypical mevalonic aciduria. Am J Transplant.
2012;12:1627-31.
3. Mohammad S, Alonso EM. Approach to optimizing growth, rehabilitation, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children after
solid-organ transplanatation. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2010;57:539-57.
4. Mohammad S, Naiditch JA, Jaffar R, Rothstein D, Bass LM. Granular cell tumor of the esophagus in an adolescent girl. J Pediatr
Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012;54:715.
Page 12
Faculty Members
Joshua Prozialeck, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Prozialeck completed his Pediatric Residency and his Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at Lurie Children’s
(formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical Interest: Intestinal rehabilitation, advanced endoscopy
Research Interests: Short gut, quality improvement, endoscopic procedures, nutrition support
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Bonilla S, Prozialeck JD, Malladi P, Pan X, Yu S, Melin-Aldana H, Whitington PF. Neonatal iron overload and tissue siderosis due to
gestational alloimmune liver disease. J Hepatol 2012;56:1351-5.
Miguel Saps, MD
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Gastrointestinal Motility and Functional Bowel Disorders Program,
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Saps completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Residency program at Hospital Ramon y Cajal, Hospital La Paz in
Madrid, Spain. He completed a Clinical Research Fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at California
Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, CA. He then pursued a Pediatric Residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY,
and then a Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA.
Clinical Interests: Functional bowel disorders and motility disorders
Research Interests: Treatment pathogenesis and epidemiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Saps M, Adams P, Bonilla S, Chogle A, Nichols-Vinueza D. Parental report of abdominal pain and abdominal pain-related
functional gastrointestinal disorders: A community survey. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Lavigne JV, Saps M, Bryant FB. Reexamining the factor structure of somatization using the children’s somatization inventory
(CSI-24) in a community sample. J Pediatr Psychol. 2012 Apr 27. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Bonilla S, Saps M. Pharmacological treatment of abdominal pain related functional gastrointestinal disorders. J Pediatr
Gastroenterol Nutr. 2011, 53 Suppl 2:S38-40.
4. Chogle A, Dhroove G, Sztainberg M, Di Lorenzo C, Saps M. How reliable are the Rome III criteria for the assessment of functional
gastrointestinal disorders in children? Am J Gastroenterol. 2010;105:2697-701.
5. Saps M, Youssef N, Miranda A, Nurko S, Hyman P, Cocjin J, Di Lorenzo C. Multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled trial of
amitriptyline in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders. Gastroenterology. 2009;137:1261-9.
Page 13
Faculty Members
Jennifer Strople, MD
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Strople completed both a Pediatric Residency program and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and
Nutrition Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, OH. Dr. Strople also obtained
a Masters of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatics at the University of Cincinnati while in fellowship training.
Clinical Interests: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Research Interests: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, specifically outcomes and quality improvement
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Strople J, Lovell G, Heubi J. Prevalence of subclinical vitamin K deficiency in cholestatic liver disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.
2009, 49:78-84.
2. Marcus SB, Strople JA, Neighbors K, Weissberg-Benchell J, Nelson SP, Limbers C, Varni JW, Alonso EM. Fatigue and healthrelated quality of life in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009;7:554-61.
3. Bousvaros A, Goldsmith J, Strople J, et al. Making the Right Diagnosis: Differentiating Between Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative
Colitis in Children and Young Adults, A case-Based Monograph focusing on Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, published by
NASPGHAN and CDHNF, May 2009
4. Marcus SB, Strople JA, Neighbors K, Weissberg-Benchell J, Nelson SP, Limbers C, Varni JW, Alonso EM. Tubulointerstitial
nephritis: an extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn disease in children. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009;7:554-61.
5. Strople J, Kaul A. Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease—current perspectives. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
2003;11:447-51.
Joshua Wechsler, MD
Instructor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr. Wechsler completed a Pediatric Residency program at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN. He
completed a Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Fellowship at Lurie Children’s (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Clinical interests: Eosinophilic Esophagitis and allergic bowel disorders
Research interest: Role of mast cells and their effector molecule, histamine, in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal inflammation.
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Smuda C, Wechsler JB, Bryce PJ. TLR-induced activation of neutrophils promotes histamine production via a PI3 kinase
dependent mechanism. Immunol Lett. 2011;141:102-8.
2. Saps M, Pensabene L, Di Martino L, Staiano A, Wechsler J, Zheng X, Di Lorenzo C. Post-infectious functional gastrointestinal dis
orders in children. J Pediatr. 2008;152:812-6.
Page 14
Faculty Members
Peter F. Whitington, MD
The Sally Burnett Searle Professor of Pediatrics and Transplantation, Northwestern University Feinberg School
of Medicine
Director, Siragusa Transplantation Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Attending Physician, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Dr Whitington completed a Pediatric Residency and Chief Residency at the University of Tennessee Center for the
Health Sciences in Memphis, TN. He completed Gastroenterology Fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore, MD and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI. He has been on the academic faculty at the University of
Tennessee center for the Health Sciences (1978-1984), The University of Chicago (1984-1997) and Northwestern University (1997present).
Clinical interests: Childhood liver diseases, in particular neonatal hemochromatosis, genetic cholestasis, and biliary atresia, and
pediatric liver transplantation.
Research interests: Mechanisms of liver injury in gestational alloimmune liver disease; improving diagnosis and treatment of gestational alloimmune liver disease; mechanisms of liver injury and repair in cholestatic liver disease; clinical trials in biliary atresia and
NAFLD/NASH.
Selected recent publications:
1. Shneider BL, Magee JC, Bezerra JA, Haber B, Karpen SJ, Raghunathan T, Rosenthal P, Schwarz K, Suchy FJ, Kerkar N, Turmelle Y,
Whitington PF, Robuck PR, Sokol RJ; for the Childhood Liver Disease Research Education Network (ChiLDREN). Efficacy of
fat-soluble vitamin supplementation in infants with biliary atresia. Pediatrics. 2012;130:e607-e614.
2. Debray FG, de Halleux V, Guidi O, Detrembleur N, Gaillez S, Rausin L, Goyens P, Pan X, Whitington PF. Neonatal liver cirrhosis
without iron overload caused by gestational alloimmune liver disease. Pediatrics. 2012;129:e1076-9.
3. Whitington PF, Pan X, Kelly S, Melin-Aldana H, Malladi P. Gestational alloimmune liver disease in cases of fetal death. J Pediatr.
2011;159:612-6.
4. Omenetti A, Bass LM, Anders RA, Clemente MG, Francis H, Guy CD, McCall S, Choi SS, Alpini G, Schwarz KB, Diehl AM,
Whitington PF. Hedgehog activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, and biliary dysmorphogenesis in biliary atresia.
Hepatology. 2011;53:1246-58.
5. Syn WK, Choi SS, Liaskou E, Karaca GF, Agboola KM, Oo YH, Mi Z, Pereira TA, Zdanowicz M, Malladi P, Chen Y, Moylan C, Jung
Y, Bhattacharya SD, Teaberry V, Omenetti A, Abdelmalek MF, Guy CD, Adams DH, Kuo PC, Michelotti GA, Whitington PF, Diehl
AM. Osteopontin is induced by hedgehog pathway activation and promotes fibrosis progression in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Hepatology. 2011;53:106-15.
Page 15
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Current Fellows
First Year Fellows:
Sunpreet Kaur, MD
Dr. Kaur graduated from SUNY Stony Brook School
of Medicine in New York and completed her Pediatric
Residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York,
NY.
Jacob Kurowski, MD
Dr. Kurowski graduated from The Ohio State University
College of Medicine in Columbus, OH, and completed
his Pediatric Residency training at Ann & Robert H.
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL.
Second Year Fellows:
Daniel O’Connell, MD
Current Fellows (from left to right): John Rosen, MD, Jacob Kurowski,
MD, Henry Lin, MD, Akihiro Asai, MD, Daniel O’Connell, MD, and Sunpreet Kaur, MD. Not pictured: Marisa Rodriguez, MD.
Dr. O’Connell completed a combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
He served as Pediatric Chief Resident at Michigan following his residency. He is working on a Masters in Clinical
Investigation at Northwestern during his fellowship. His research interests are nutritional therapies for the treatment of
GI disease and specifically gluten-free and low carbohydrate diets for irritable bowel syndrome.
Marisa Rodriguez, MD
Dr. Rodriguez completed her Pediatric Residency training at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston,
TX. She is currently working on a clinical research project entitled “Assessing self-efficacy in adolescents with inflammatory
bowel disease”.
Third Year Fellows:
Akihiro Asai, MD
Dr. Asai completed his Pediatric Residency training at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York,
NY. He is currently working on a transplational research project entitled “The fibrogenic role of Sonic Hedgehog pathway in
Gestational Alloimmune Liver Disease/ Neonatal Hemochromatosis”.
John Rosen, MD
Dr. Rosen completed his pediatric residency training at NYU Medical Center in New York, NY. He is currently working on a
translational research project entitled “Role of TRPV1 in Post-Infectious Chronic Abdominal Pain”.
Fourth Year Fellow:
Henry Lin, MD
Dr. Lin completed his Pediatric Residency training at at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (formerly
Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, IL and his Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship training at the Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA. He is currently working on research projects entitled “Humoral Mediated Liver Injury in
Childhood Liver Diseases” and “Long-term Follow-up of Minimization of Immunosuppression in Pediatric Liver
Transplantation”.
Page 16
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
Clinical Nursing and Nutrition Staff
Advanced Practice Nurses
Registered Nurses
Beata Borawski, RN, MSN, APN
Joyce Chesniak, RN, BSN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Inflammatory
Bowel Disease
Ilana Lee Cabrera, RN, MSN, CPNP
Specialty: Liver transplant
Tracy Kruger, RN, MSN, CPNP
Specialty: Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant
Maria Manuel Rubio, RN, MSN, APN, PNP
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Eosinophilic
Esophagitis
Jessica Zimont, RN, MSN, APN/FNP-BC
Specialty: Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant
Clinical Nutritionists
Karin Ballard, MS, RD, LDN
Specialty: Hepatology and Liver transplant, Inpatient
Gastroenterology
Sally Schwartz, RD, CSP, LDN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology
Amelia Cima, RN, BSN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Endoscopy
Theresa Cristino, RN, BSN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology
Dolores Cupuro, RN, BSN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal
Motility Disorders
Dhey Delute, RN
Specialty: Heptatology Clinical Research
Emily Ellisor, RN, BSN
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Eosinophilic
Esophagitis , Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Therese Hess, RN, BSN
Specialty: Hepatology
Sue Kelly, RN, BSN
Specialty: Heptatology Clinical Research
Specialty: Outpatient General Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eosinophilic Esophagitis,
Celiac disease
Cindy Riazi, RN, BSN, CPN
Lisa Sharda, RD, LDN, IBCLC
Specialty: General Gastroenterology, Eosinophilic
Esophagitis
Specialty: Outpatient General Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eosinophilic Esophagitis,
Celiac disease
Carmyn Zoller, RD
Specialty: Intestinal Rehabilitation
Page 17
Specialty: Hepatology
Ronda Shaykin, RN, BSN
Research
After the first year, fellows devote about 80 percent effort to research. Each fellow can choose a course of either basic or clinical
research and opportunities are not limited to the resources of the Division. While there are adequate resources for research and
mentorship within the division, fellows may pursue their research education in laboratories at Northwestern. The Division of
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition currently has about 60 active research projects, 26 of which have received peer
review funding, and have had more than 50 peer reviewed journal articles published between January 2006 and present.
Children’s Hospital of Chicago Research Center
Basic science research occurs in the Children’s Hospital of Chicago Research Center (CHCRC). It is the only institution dedicated to
pediatric research in Illinois and one of only a handful in the nation. CHCRC’s mission is to generate new knowledge leading to advancements in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that affect the development of children through adolescence
as well as adult disorders that derive from them. In 2007, the center was awarded $28.5 million in external grants and contracts,
60 percent of which came from the federal government, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). CHCRC is one of 13
multidisciplinary centers of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, where principal investigators who are part of
CHCRC are full time faculty members.
The laboratory facilities at CHCRC are fully equipped with standard biochemical, molecular biological, and tissue culture facilities.
Each floor also has conference areas equipped with VCRs and slide projectors for teaching and lab meetings. Most laboratories at
CHCRC are outfitted with standard biochemical, molecular biological,
tissue culture facilities, -20° and -80° freezers, bench top centrifuges,
gel electrophoresis boxes and power supplies, tissue culture hoods
and incubators, gel drying and speed vac equipment, luminometer,
balances, and pH meters. CHCRC has common equipment space on
each floor. Each laboratory, therefore, has ready access to isotope
preparation areas, PCR preparation areas, cold rooms, centrifuge areas with ultracentrifuges, and other heavy equipment. There are two
labs of 250 NSF equipped for ES cell tissue culture with laminar flow
hood, centrifuges, CO2 incubators, needle pullers, microforge, inverted phase microscopes and a Leitz micromanipulator. The animal
facilities are fully approved by the NIH. The animals are housed under
VAF conditions using microisolator caging in laminar flow cubicles.
Centralized computers control water, temperature and light cycles.
Gene knockout and transgenic facilities are also located in CHCRC.
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Laboratory Staff
Dr. Wershil’s Lab
Research Scientist: Ming Wang, MD
Dr. Wershil’s research interests include the role of mast cells in GI inflammation and
homeostasis. This work involves the use of mouse models to investigate mast cells
and mast cell mediators in a variety of inflammatory reactions, including allergic,
neurogenic, and immune inflammation. The lab is also interested in the pathogenesis
of eosinophilic esophagitis, and specifically the mediators that influence the
pathology of the esophagus.
Page 18
Barry Wershil, MD and Ming Wang, MD
Research
Dr. Whitington’s Lab
Lab Manager: Padmini Malladi, MS
Research Associate: Xiaomin Pan, MD
Dr. Whitington and his lab are involved in translational research utilizing animal and
cell-based models and molecular approaches to understand the immune mechanisms
involved in the pathogenesis of neonatal hemochromatosis and biliary atresia. He is
also interested in hepatocyte “survival” cell signaling involved in nutrient sensing and
fatty liver disease and in the protective response to cholestasis.
Peter Whitington, MD and Padmini Malladi
Center for Intestinal and Liver Inflammation Research
Director: Xiao-Di Tan, MD
The center was created in 2011 with a mission to promote a better understanding of the pathogenic
mechanisms and therapies of diseases of the digestive system, in particular the immune mechanisms of inflammatory diseases, transplantation and tolerance. The center is investigator-driven,
consisting of a small group of dedicated, enthusiastic, and productive researchers, all of whom
study the mechanisms of diseases involving the liver and intestines. They have common interests in
immunology, cell signaling, and cell death as they relate to d
igestive diseases.
Xiao-Di Tan, MD
Principal Investigators:
Jeffrey B Brown, MD: Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Animal Models of IBD
Valeria Cohran, MD: Epithelial Signal Transduction Pathways involved in Growth and Repair
Isabelle DePlaen, MD: Pathogenesis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Xiao-Di Tan, MD: Mechanisms of Gut Mucosal Injury and Repair
Barry K Wershil, MD: Mast cell function in the gut; Mechanisms of eosinophil-mediated inflammation
Peter F Whitington, MD: Mechanism of Liver Injury; Congenital Hemochromatosis
Page 19
Applying to Our Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition Fellowship Program
Thank you for your interest in our Fellowship Program. We accept applications through ERAS. We have two
fellowship positions available each academic year, and we typically interview applicants in February, March,
and April.
When submitting your application through ERAS, you will need to submit the following:
1. Completed application form
2. Photo
3. Curriculum Vitae
• Where applicable, please include the following: education, post-graduate training, additional
training, work experience, honors or awards, research experience, publications, and presentations
4. Personal Statement outlining your career goals in Pediatric Gastroenterology
5. Three letters of recommendation
• One letter should be from the pediatric department chair, residency program director, or chief of
staff from the hospital in which your residency training was done
• If letters are being submitted electronically, they should be sent in PDF format, signed electronically,
and sent directly from the author’s email address
6. USMLE Scores for Steps 1, 2, and 3
7. Copy of Medical License (if applicable)
8. Medical School Transcripts (required for foreign medical graduates only)
9. ECFMG (required for foreign medical graduates)
Page 20