The Fellowship Programs of the Division of Gastroenterology provide a rigorous foundation in patient care, research, and teaching for talented individuals committed to careers in academic gastroenterology.
Current FellowsJakob Begun, M.Phil, MD, PhD
Medical School/PhD: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2009
Primary Research Mentor: Ramnik Xavier
Clinical/Research Interest: I am interested in using genomic techniques to identify innate immune signaling pathways that may be playing a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.
Jennifer Y. Chen, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2012
Primary Research Mentor: Raymond Chung
Clinical/Research Interest: I am interested in studying liver fibrosis.
Andrew S. deLemos, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Residency: MGH
Year Started Fellowship: 2008
Primary Research Mentor: Raymond Chung
Clinical/Research Interest: My clinical interests are in general GI with particular emphasis on metabolism and obesity. My research involves studying the role of "clock" genes in GI and liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Awards/Grants: AGA Academic Skills Workshop Grant, NRSA Kirschstein Fellowship
Manish Gala, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Stanford University
Year Started Fellowship: 2009
Primary Research Mentor: Daniel Chung
Clinical/Research Interest: My clinical interest includes patients with familial cancer syndromes. My research is currently focused on novel regulators of angiogenesis in tumor development.
Awards/Grants: Clinical Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award – MGH Housestaff
Nitin Gupta, MD
Medical School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Residency: Washington University School of Medicine:
Year Started Fellowship: 2010
Primary Research Mentor: Nicholas Stylopoulos
Clinical/Research Interest: Translational studies of obesity and colorectal cancer
Hamed Khalili, MD
Medical School: University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center
Residency: University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Memorial Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2008
Primary Research Mentor: Andrew T. Chan
Clinical/Research Interest: I am interested in studying the natural history of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and how it differs across different population groups as well as individuals. My research also involves understanding and defining the risk factors for development of IBD as well as identifying subgroups at highest risk for poor outcomes.
Awards/Grants: 2011 DDW/AGA Clinical Practice Council Distinguished Abstract Plenary, 2011 ACG Distinguished IBD Abstract Award, IBD Working Group, 2010 GI Fellows Research Grant Award
Lindsay King, MD
Medical School: University of Virginia
Residency: Brigham and Women's
Chief Residency: Brigham and Women’s, 2011-12
Year Started Fellowship: 2010
Clinical/Research Interest: My clinical and research interests are in general hepatology and transplant hepatology.
Awards/Grants: Clinical Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award – MGH Housestaff
Gauree Gupta Konijeti, MD
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Residency: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System
Year Started Fellowship: 2011
Primary Research Mentor: Andrew T. Chan, Ashwin Ananthakrishnan
Clinical Interest: Inflammatory bowel disease
Jay Luther, MD
Medical School: State University of New York, Upstate Medical Center
Residency: University of Michigan
Year Started Fellowship: 2011
Clinical Interest: General gastroenterology
Daniel L. Motola, MD, PhD
Medical School/PhD: UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Residency: The Mt. Sinai Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2010
Clinical/Research Interest: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Joanna M. Peloquin, MD
Medical School: Mayo Medical School
Residency: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2010
Clinical/Research Interests: Liver transplantation, health care quality and delivery of care
Awards/Grants: Clinical Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award – MGH Housestaff
Ruma Rajbhandari, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2012
Clinical/Research Interests: Gastroenterology/hepatology care in resource-poor settings, quality of care
Esperance A. K. Schaefer, MD, MPH
Medical School: Columbia University - College of Physicians and Surgeons
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2009
Primary Research Mentor: Raymond Chung
Clinical/Research Interest: Investigation into the mechanisms of immune response and immune tolerance in Hepatitis C Virus
Awards/Grants: Clinical Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award – MGH Housestaff
Amandeep Singh, MD, PhD
Medical School/PhD: MD, Weill Cornell Medical School; PhD, Rockefeller University
Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Year Started Fellowship: 2012
Clinical/Research Interest: I am interested in research in obesity and general gastroenterology.
Kyle Staller, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2012
Primary Research Mentor: Braden Kuo
Clinical/Research Interest: Clinical research in GI motility
Harry J. Thomas, MD
Medical School: Merton College, University of Oxford
Residency: Massachusetts General Hosptial
Year Started Fellowship: 2011
Primary Research Mentor: Ramnik Xavier
Clinical Interest: Inflammatory bowel disease
C. Giovanni Traverso, MB, BChir, PhD
Medical School: University of Cambridge (UK)
PhD: Johns Hopkins University
Residency: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2009
Primary Research Mentor: Prof. Robert S. Langer
Clinical/Research Interest: Development of novel luminal drug delivery vehicles
Awards/Grants: Deshpande Innovation Award from the Deshpande Institute at MIT, Clinical Fellow Excellence in Teaching Award – MGH Housestaff, ACG Clinical Research Award
Diana Ying Wu, MD
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency: Stanford University Hospital
Year Started Fellowship: 2011
Primary Research Mentor: Raymond Chung
Clinical/Research Interest: Hepatology outcomes research
Recent Graduates
| Barham Abu Dayyah | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2008 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2005 – Brown Medical School |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Christopher Thompson |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2010 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Advanced Endoscopy Fellow, Mayo Clinic |
| Publications: | Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Gastroenterology |
| Research Summary: | Novel endoscopic techniques and devices for the primary treatment of obesity and revision of gastric bypass surgery |
| Vincent Aguirre | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2004 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD/PhD 2002 – Harvard Medical School |
| Research Support: | UTSMC Scholars Award |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Lee Kaplan |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and the Center for Hypothalamic Research |
| Publications: | Obesity, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Aguirre joined the faculty of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he continues to dedicate 80% of his effort to his research in animal models of bariatric surgery, obesity, and diabetes. |
| Karin Andersson | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2004 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2000 – Yale University |
| Research Support: | AASLD Advanced Hepatology Fellowship |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Raymond Chung, Sue Goldie, Joshua Salomon |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2007 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School Assistant Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Publications: | Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology |
| Research Summary: |
Dr. Andersson joined the faculty of Massachusetts General Hospital where she is currently an Attending Hepatologist/Assistant Physician. She is continuing her research defining cost-effective, first-line therapy for treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and actively participates in the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center. |
| Elisa Boden | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2006 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2003 – University of Chicago |
| Research Support: | CCFA Research Fellowship Award |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Scott Snapper |
| Current Position: | Physician, Virginia Mason Medical Center |
| Publications: | Current Opinion in Gastroenterology |
| Research Summary: | Aberrant regulatory T cell homeostasis in murine colitis |
| Abraham Brass | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2003 |
| Prior Degree(s): | PhD 1998, MD 2001 – University of Chicago |
| Research Support: | CCFA Research Fellowship Award, HMS Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Grant, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Stephen Elledge |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School |
| Publications: | Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cell |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Brass is an Assistant Professor in the department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Before his move to U Mass, he worked in the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, where he was supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He is currently studying the IFITM family of anti-viral proteins; the role of host dependency factors during HIV infection; host mediators of hepatitis C infection; and the development of novel genetic screens for determinants of viral infection. He is dedicating 100% of his effort to research. |
| Peter Carolan | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2006 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2004 – Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Douglas Melton |
| Current Position: | Assistant in Medicine, MGH; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School |
| Publications: | Journal of Cell Biology, Development, PNAS |
| Research Summary: | Patients with diabetes have significant complications despite our best available therapies. Although pancreatic islet transplantation has the potential to correct the underlying disease, the paucity of donors and the need for lifelong immunosuppression limits its usefulness. Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells hold the promise of solving both of these problems. In the lab of Doug Melton, I am studying the signals that guide embryonic pancreas development and applying this information to the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells with the goal of improving our ability to efficiently differentiate functionally mature beta cells. |
| Kathleen Corey | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2006 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2003 – Duke University |
| Research Support: | ACG Clinical Research Pilot Grant, AASLD Advanced Hepatology Fellowship |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Raymond Chung |
| Current Position: | Instructor in Medicine, MGH |
| Publications: | Liver International, Journal of Gastroenterology, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Journal of Viral Hepatitis, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Hepatology |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Corey’s research focuses on 1) the relationship between hepatitis C infection and lipid metabolism and 2) the impact of host factors on hepatic fibrosis. |
| John Garber III | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2007 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD – University of Southern California |
| Research Support: | NIH F32 |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Scott Snapper |
| Current Position: | Assistant in Medicine, MGH; Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School |
| Publications: |
Journal of Clinical Investigation |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Garber's research focuses on the role of Neural Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (N-WASP) in maintaining intestinal homeostasis through its regulation of actin cytoskeletal organization within the epithelium. |
| Alexandra Gutierrez | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2003 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2000 – Case Western Reserve |
| Research Support: | IBD Clinical Research Award |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Daniel Podolsky, Bruce Sands |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2006 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor of Medicine, Washington University |
| Publications: | Digestion, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Gutierrez serves as a clinician investigator treating Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Her research interests include the development new therapies for conditions relating to IBD. |
| Wendy Ho | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2005 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2002 – Albert Einstein Medical College |
| Mentor(s): | Andrew Chan, Chin Hur |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2008 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor, UCLA Department of Medicine, Digestive Diseases |
| Publications: | American Journal of Radiology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, PLoS One |
| Research Summary: |
Dr. Ho joined the faculty of UCLA in 2008. She specializes in general gastroenterology and has clinical expertise in inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophagitis, gastritis, ulcer disease, colorectal disorders, motility disorders, pancreatitis, colorectal cancer screening, colonoscopy and endoscopy. |
| Edward S. Huang | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2007 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2004 – University of Pennsylvania |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Andrew T. Chan |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2010 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Publications: | PLOS One, American Journal of Medicines |
| Research Summary: | I'm interested in studying the epidemiology of gastrointestinal bleeding and peptic ulcer disease. |
| Alan C. Mullen | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2006 |
| Prior Degree(s): | PhD 2002 - University of Pennsylvania, Immunology Graduate Group MD 2004 - University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Richard Young |
| Current Position: |
Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Assistant in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, GI Unit |
| Publications: | Cell |
| Research Summary: | TGF-beta signaling is required for embryonic stem cells maintenance and for early development. My research focuses on understanding how TGF-beta signaling directs different responses in these different cell types. |
| Deanna Nguyen | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2004 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2001 – Harvard Medical School |
| Research Support: | CCFA Research Fellowship Award, NIDDK F32, NIDDK K08 |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Scott Snapper |
| Current Position: | Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School Assistant in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Publications: | Journal of Leukocyte Biology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology |
| Research Summary: |
Dr. Nguyen continues to dedicate 80% of her time to conducting research within the Massachusetts General Hospital Gastrointestinal Unit. In September of 2009 she received a K08 award to continue her research deciphering the pathogenesis of colitis in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) knockout mice. |
| Lee Peng | |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD/PhD 2001 – Harvard Medical School |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Raymond Chung, Stuart Schreiber |
| Rsearch Support : | AGA Research Scholars Award, K08 NIDDK |
| Current Position: | Instructor in Medicine, MGH |
| Publications: |
Journal of Organic Chemistry, Gastroenterology, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Cell Host and Microbe, Nature Chemical Biology, Journal of Virology, Journal of Hepatology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Infectious Disease |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Peng is a basic and translational investigator interested in using chemical biology and synthetic organic chemistry to enhance our understanding of viral hepatitis and to assist in the development of novel therapies. |
| Anna Rutherford | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2003 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2000 – Harvard Medical School |
| Research Support: | AASLD Advanced Hepatology Fellowship Award, NIDDK |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Raymond Chung, Lee Kaplan |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2006 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School Clinical & Transplant Hepatologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital |
| Publications: | Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Rutherford joined the faculty at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Gastroenterology Division as an Instructor in Medicine in July 2007. She is continuing her research on serum apoptosis markers in acute liver failure and actively participates in the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center. |
| Elizabeth Speliotes | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2004 |
| Prior Degree(s): | PhD 2001 – MIT; MD 2001 – Harvard Medical School |
| Research Support: | NIDDK F32, NIDDK K23 |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Joel Hirschhorn, David Altshuler |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2008 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Health System |
| Publications: | Science, Nature Genetics, PLoS Genetics, Hepatology, Human Molecular Genetics, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Gastroenterology |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Speliotes' research is in the genetics of common obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. |
| Andrew Tai | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2005 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD/PhD 2002 – Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences |
| Research Support: | NIH K08 award |
| Prior Mentor(s): | Raymond Chung |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor, University of Michigan Health System Staff Physician, Ann Arbor Veterans Administration Health Systems |
| Publications: | Gastroenterology, Journal of Hepatology, Cell Host and Microbe |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Tai joined the faculty of the University of Michigan Health System, Department of Medicine in 2009. He continues to dedicate 90% of his effort to research on hepatitis C virus (HCV) with a focus on characterizing the molecular mechanisms by which host (human) cofactors support HCV replication. |
| Brian Turner | |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2004 – Harvard University |
| Prior Mentor(s): | William Brugge |
| Research Support : | Harvard Catalyst Grant |
| Current Position: |
Assistant Attending Physician, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University |
| Publications: | Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Surgical Endoscopy |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Brian Turner is a board certified gastroenterologist and advanced fellowship trained interventional gastroenterologist who is an Assistant Attending Physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. |
| Field Willingham | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2005 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MPH 1996, MD 2001 – University of Maryland |
| Research Support: | Center for Minimally Invasive Technology Grant, ASGE Award |
| Prior Mentor(s): | William Brugge |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of Endoscopy, Emory University School of Medicine |
| Publications: | Gastrointestinal Endoscopy |
| Research Summary: | Dr. Willingham joined the faculty of Emory University in 2009 where he continues to dedicate 50% of his effort to clinical research. He continues to study the diagnosis and management of Barrett’s esophagus. |
| Kevin E. Woods | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2008 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2005 – Meharry Medical College |
| Degree(s) obtained: | MPH 2010 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Mentor(s): | William Brugge |
| Current Position: | Attending Physician, Emory University Hospital |
| Research Summary: | My clinical interests are centered in interventional endoscopy, early detection and endoscopic management of esophageal cancer, hepatobiliary diseases, pancreatic cysts and pancreatic malignancies. My current research interest are related to endoscopic device development and advanced endoscopic imaging platforms, specifically confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), spectrally encoded confocal microscopy (SECM) and optical frequency domain imaing (OFDI). I believe advanced imaging technologies will improve the effectiveness of gastrointestinal biopsy and mucosal resection, ultimately improving the detection and eradication of neoplasia within high-risk patient populations for gastrointestinal tract cancers. |
| Patrick Yachimski | |
| Year Started Fellowship: | 2005 |
| Prior Degree(s): | MD 2002 – Harvard Medical School |
| Research Support: | ASGE Award |
| Mentor(s): | William Brugge, Chin Hur |
| Degree(s) Obtained: | MPH 2008 – Harvard School of Public Health |
| Current Position: | Assistant Professor in Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
| Publications: |
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Digestive Diseases and Science, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Archives of Internal Medicine, Journal of Microscopy |
| Research Summary: |
Dr. Yachimski joined the faculty of Vanderbilt University in 2009, where he continues to focus on interventional endoscopy, including ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound, endoscopic diagnosis and therapy of Barrett's esophagus, and endoluminal stenting. He is planning to develop clinical research protocols in each of these areas. He also worked with other faculty to develop the Advanced Endoscopy fellowship at Vanderbilt, which began in July 2010. |
