Awards & Accreditations

• Raghavendra Mirmira, MD, PhD, and colleagues identified PERK inhibition as a potential strategy to prevent or delay the development of Type 1 diabetes in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
• Samuel Refetoff, MD, and colleagues identified a novel form of TSH resistance caused by mutations in a thyroid-specific enhancer that increases expression of microRNAs linked to TSH regulation in Nature Genetics.
• Louis Philipson, MD, PhD, obtained funding as a member of the steering committee of the Precision Medicine in Diabetes international initiative that developed a series of 14 systematic reviews with over 20 authors regarding opportunities created by applying the concepts of precision medicine to diabetes. See “Second international consensus report on gaps and opportunities for the clinical translation of precision diabetes medicine” in Nature Medicine.
• Brian Kim, MD, an expert in the clinical management of thyroid disorders, was recruited to the University of Chicago as Associate Professor of Medicine.
• Margo Emont, PhD, an expert on adipocyte subpopulations and their functional consequences, was recruited to the University of Chicago as Assistant Professor of Medicine.

• With the leadership of David T. Rubin, MD, the Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition continued to enjoy success and growth in education, research, innovation, and clinical programs last year. Thanks to peer recommendations from medical professionals like you, Newsweek ranked our program one of the World’s Best Specialized Hospitals.
• The Section welcomed two new faculty in 2023.
  
  • Tenzin Choden, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, specializes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with clinical interests in ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and checkpoint inhibitor colitis. Her primary research interests involve studying various aspects of the care of older patients with IBD, such as frailty, medication management and cancer surveillance. She serves on the Training Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology.
  • Lalitha Sitaraman, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, specializes in motility disorders of the intestines. This specialty studies the movement of the intestinal muscles and ways to better characterize and study how the bowel functions.
• In 2023, the Section grew clinical programs both on campus and at off-site locations. Multiple GI faculty members perform endoscopies at the UChicago Medicine River East location and will continue to grow procedure volumes at other satellite locations, including a new site in Northbrook and expansions in Hinsdale and Northwest Indiana.
• Last year, the Section research portfolio again exceeded $17M and included two NIH R01 grants from Eugene B. Chang, MD, an NIH RC2 grant from Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, and a NIH R01 grant from Cambrian Liu, PhD, on colonic epithelial wound healing by transitional anal cells. Additionally, Eugene B. Chang, MD, and Edwin K. McDonald IV, MD, received GI Research Foundation (GIRF) funding for community outreach on the impact of diet on gut microbial health and function. David T. Rubin, MD, received GIRF funding for assessing the bidirectional impact of GI inflammation and mental health on patients with IBD. Cambrian Liu, PhD, received GIRF funding for reprogramming stem cells to treat IBD.
• The fiscal year 2023 GI Fellowship Program, under the leadership by Andrew Aronsohn, MD, includes 12 categorical fellows, four of whom are part of the Department’s Physician Scientist Development Program. Over half of our fellows are women, and over a quarter of our fellows are underrepresented in medicine. The Section has six advanced fellows in interventional endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, transplant hepatology, and nutrition, with a visiting advanced fellow in GI cancer.
• The Section has expanded the community engagement program co-led by Edwin K. McDonald IV, MD, and Sonali Paul, MD, MS, that focuses on diet, cooking, and nutrition education. Over the summer, Dr. McDonald led a high school internship program with two interns who worked in the GI Section. They primarily shadowed Dr. McDonald in clinic and during procedures and had the opportunity to shadow his colleagues in interventional GI, IBD, hepatology, and general surgery. Dr. McDonald also partnered with the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists and local comedians for a community outreach event geared towards educating the South Side Chicago community about gastrointestinal diseases. The program took place before 300 people in The Promontory in Hyde Park and won a coveted SCOPY Award for education from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Additional Highlights and Accomplishments:

• Eugene B. Chang, MD – Recipient of the Walter Palmer Senior Alumni Award; Gastrointestinal Research Foundation (2023)
• Uzma Siddiqui, MD – Recipient of a 2023 Crystal Award: Master Endoscopist Award
• Valerie Abadie, PhD – Recipient of the Celiac Disease Foundation Young Investigator Prize in Basic Science (2023)
• Sonali Paul, MD, MS – Recipient of the Joseph B. Kirsner Mentorship Award (2023)
• David T. Rubin, MD – Recipient of the 2023 Department’s Arthur H. Rubenstein Mentorship in Academic Medicine Award
• Sonia Kupfer, MD – Appointed Associate Vice Chair for Research
• Sonali Paul, MD, MS – Appointed Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program and Faculty Advisory Committee Member, Patient Care and Training

2023 Select High Impact Publications

1. Dolinger MT, Krugliak Cleveland N, Rubin DT, Dubinsky MC. Guide to Intestinal Ultrasound Credentialing, Documentation, and Billing for Gastroenterologists in the United States. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023
2. Akhlaghpour M, Haritunians T, More SK, Thomas LS, Stamps DT, Dube S, Li D, Yang S, Landers CJ, Mengesha E, Hamade H, Murali R, Potdar AA, Wolf AJ, Botwin GJ, Khrom M; International IBD Genetics Consortium; Ananthakrishnan AN, Faubion WA, Jabri B, Lira SA, Newberry RD, Sandler RS, Sartor RB, Xavier RJ, Brant SR, Cho JH, Duerr RH, Lazarev MG, Rioux JD, Schumm LP, Silverberg MS, Zaghiyan K, Fleshner P, Melmed GY, Vasiliauskas EA, Ha C, Rabizadeh S, Syal G, Bonthala NN, Ziring DA, Targan SR, Long MD, McGovern DPB, Michelsen KS. Genetic coding variant in complement factor B (CFB) is associated with increased risk for perianal Crohn's disease and leads to impaired CFB cleavage and phagocytosis. Gut. 2023
3. Siddiqui UD. Top tips for colonic EMR (with video). Gastrointest Endosc. 2023
4. Goldowsky A, Ding J, Vélez C, Paul S. Improving the Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority-Identifying Trainees in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Gastroenterology. 2023
5. Kastrinos F, Kupfer SS, Gupta S. Colorectal Cancer Risk Assessment and Precision Approaches to Screening: Brave New World or Worlds Apart? Gastroenterology. 2023
6. Duong N, Lee TH, Newman KL, Goldowsky A, Jencks KJ, Chedid V, Barrow J, Burbridge R, Chiang A, Targownik L, Simonetto DA, Paul S. Overcoming disparities for sexual and gender minority patients and providers in gastroenterology and hepatology: introduction to Rainbows in Gastro. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023
7. Rinella ME, Neuschwander-Tetri BA, Siddiqui MS, Abdelmalek MF, Caldwell S, Barb D, Kleiner DE, Loomba R. AASLD Practice Guidance on the clinical assessment and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology. 2023
8. Allocca M, Kucharzik T, Rubin DT. Intestinal Ultrasound in the Assessment and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Is It Ready for Standard Practice? Gastroenterology. 2023

• Elizabeth Zavala, MD, launched a urinary incontinence evaluation and management clinic at South Shore Senior Center.
• Heather Leeper, MD, is leading a new neuropalliative care program focused on improving the quality of life of patients with serious neurologic illnesses.
• Megan Huisingh-Scheetz MD, MPH, published a nationally represented study on the association of gait speed and self-reported walking difficulty with social isolation.
• Andrea Landi, MD, received a Health Resources & Services Administration K01 Geriatrics Academic Career Award to develop and study educational programs for older adults with opioid and substance use disorders.
• Stacie Levine, MD, FAAHPM, was elected to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Board of Directors.

• Largest Transplant Program in the Midwest: Our program continues to lead the region, delivering exceptional outcomes and unmatched expertise in organ transplantation.
• Largest Multi-Organ Transplant Program: Demonstrating our multidisciplinary approach, we excel in providing complex, multi-organ transplant care with outstanding success rates.
• Participation in Advanced Mechanical Circulatory Support Clinical Trials: We are proud to contribute to leading-edge research through participation in the BrioVAD and BiVACOR trials, advancing mechanical circulatory support technology and patient care.
• Nation's Largest Bloodless Medicine and Heart Surgery Program: By offering bloodless heart surgery (transfusion-free procedures), we perform lifesaving surgery without compromising our patients’ religious or personal reasons for needing “blood-free” care and treatment.
  Now Offering Pulsed Field Ablation: This state-of-the-art treatment at UChicago Medicine address atrial fibrillation, enhancing patient outcomes with precision and safety.
• Renal Denervation for Resistant Hypertension: Our specialists offer this groundbreaking procedure to patients with persistent hypertension despite traditional therapies.
• Deep Vein Arterialization for Limb Salvage: This unique procedure provides a new option for patients with critical limb ischemia, preserving mobility and improving quality of life.
• Innovative Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Endovascular Device: Our team utilizes a new thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm endovascular device to treat complex aneurysms, enabling less invasive solutions for high-risk cases.

• Five decades after our original National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, the NCI renewed our status as a "Comprehensive Cancer Center." The prestigious designation recognizes us as one of the nation's top research and treatment facilities.
• We opened a 130,000-square-foot multispecialty care center to serve patients in Northwest Indiana. Our Crown Point facility brings the total number of locations offering cancer services throughout our network to 20.
• Two large gifts from the AbbVie Foundation and Susan and Tandean Rustandy will help support the construction of our new cancer pavilion, the first freestanding facility in Illinois dedicated to reshaping cancer care.
• We led a number of practice-changing clinical trials that defined new standards of care, including a less aggressive approach to lung cancer surgery pioneered by Everett Vokes, MD, and an immunotherapy and chemotherapy combination treatment for lung cancer that increased survival led by Marina Garassino, MD.
• A joint project with Argonne National Laboratory will use leading-edge AI technology to mine vast datasets and uncover patterns that can lead to the development of new treatments for drug-resistant cancer.
• We launched the Center to Eliminate Cancer Inequity, a new research hub bringing together researchers, healthcare providers and community members to eliminate Chicago’s chronic cancer disparities.
• We celebrated 10 years of exceptional research training programs for high school students, college students, and middle and high school science educators. NCI Director W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) gave presentations on our campus for the occasion.
• We became one of the few centers in the nation to offer tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy, an innovative new cancer treatment for patients with advanced melanoma.

• Aravind Athiviraham, MD, completed the American Orthopaedic Association USC APEX Leadership certificate program. He also was selected for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Boosting Orthopaedic Leaders’ Development (BOLD) program. BOLD helps to develop orthopaedic surgeons as leaders in their field.
• Holly Benjamin, MD, was nominated to the planning committee for the national Advanced Team Physician Course for a four-year term. Dr. Benjamin was also nominated to the American College of Sports Medicine Advisory Board for Team Physician Consensus Group. She was selected as the inaugural American Board of Pediatrics representative to the American Board of Family Medicine Sports Medicine CAQ Advisory Committee.
• Mary Kate Erdman, MD, was the director, screenwriter, and cinematographer for a 7-minute video on Allgöwer-Donati suture technique for wound closure that won Orthopaedic Video Theater Award, Best in Trauma at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Annual Meeting. Dr. Erdman, selected to serve a three-year term as the Simon Diversity Scholar, was also featured on an Orthopedics Trauma Association podcast in an episode titled “The Early Years: Surgical Education: Balancing Trainees and Myself".
• Kelly Hynes, MD, was an American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society traveling fellow. She was awarded a 2023 Bucksbaum Institute Pilot Grant.
• Jason A. Strelzow, MD, was an American Orthopaedic Association North American traveling fellow. He was featured on an episode of a JAAOS Unplugged podcast titled “AAOS Guidelines on Prevention of Surgical Site Infection After Major Extremity Trauma.”
• Sara Shippee Wallace, MD, MPH, chaired the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons annual resident course in November. She also became the second chair of the UChicago Medicine Women Surgeons Committee (WSC) in July and is serving a two-year term.
• Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD, PhD, was elected president of American Society for Surgery of the Hand. She was awarded a University of Chicago IIRP faculty grant and also the Mary Harris Thompson Award by the UChicago Medicine WSC. Her case vignette on lateral epicondylitis was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• Eight OHNS faculty members, Nishant Agrawal, MD, Elizabeth Blair, MD, Michael Gluth, MD, Jayant Pinto, MD, Louis de Guzman Portugal, MD, Andrea Shogan, MD, Fuad Baroody, MD, and Dana Suskind, MD, were named to Chicago Magazine’s Top Doctors list.
  
• Dana Suskind, MD, received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, and the Frechette Family Foundation, among others, to support the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health. The mission of the TMW Center is to create a national shift in the knowledge and behavior of parents and caregivers that leads to optimal foundational brain development in all children during the first five years of life.
  
• Nishant Agrawal, MD, was awarded funding from the NCI to study “Multi-analyte Approach for Earlier Detection of Cancer in Non-Plasma Biofluids.” This project aims to develop noninvasive, biofluid-based "liquid biopsy" assays using saliva and other biofluids for the early detection of cancers, including head and neck cancers, addressing current limitations in minimally invasive cancer diagnostics.
  
• Elizabeth Blair, MD, Dana Suskind, MD, and Andrea Shogan, MD, were listed in the Castle Connolly 2024 List of Exceptional Women in Medicine. The list recognizes women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, expertise and dedication in their respective fields.
  
• Jayant Pinto, MD, was awarded the top #HeForShe Award at the Women in Medicine Summit.
  
• Jayant Pinto, MD, was also featured in the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Journal for his publication, "A Social Media Quality Review of Popular Sinusitis Videos on TikTok." This article aimed to assess the quality of sinusitis-related videos on TikTok.
  
• Brandon Baird, MD, was interviewed on “TODAY,” a popular morning show and online platform covering news, wellness, parenting, pop culture, and more, to discuss gender-affirming voice therapy. The article explores the transformative impact of gender-affirming voice therapy, highlighting Dr. Baird's expertise as he supports individuals in aligning their voices with their gender identities, emphasizing the therapy's significance for mental health and self-expression.
  
• Brandon Baird, MD, was also featured on “Tamron Hall” and “ABC- Channel 7 Eyewitness News," discussing the career-saving surgery he performed on news anchor Samantha Chatman.
  
• The University of Chicago Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted the 7th Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. This national three-day course, led by Nishant Agrawal, MD, and Ellen MacCracken, MS, featured experts who addressed challenges facing practitioners who treat patients with head and neck cancers.
  
• In Spring 2024, UChicago Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery expanded its services to UChicago Medicine’s newest facility in Crown Point, Indiana, where we provide area residents with subspecialty care in head and neck cancer, otology and pediatric otolaryngology. The new Crown Point micro-hospital was named winner of the 2024 International Interior Design Association Healthcare Design Award, which honors innovation and excellence in the design and furnishings of healthcare spaces.
  
   

• Our Interventional Pulmonary (IP) program continues to be the largest in the Chicago area. Septimiu Murgu, MD, D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, and Ajay Wagh, MD, MS, provide state-of-the-art diagnostic approaches and treatments to our patients.
  
  • We are the leading center for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (endobronchial valves), airway stenting, robotic bronchoscopy, bronchoscopic ablation of airway tumors, and management of tracheal stenosis and tracheobronchomalacia.
  • We are part of the multi-disciplinary Complex Airway Center to manage laryngo-tracheal diseases in conjunction with colleagues from otolaryngology and thoracic surgery.
  • Dr. Murgu is the current President of the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology and the recipient of CHEST 2023 Edward C. Rosenow III, MD, Master FCCP/Master Teacher Endowed Honor Lecture.
  • Dr. Hogarth was named as a top doctor and spotlighted in Chicago Magazine.
• Our Sleep Center, directed by, Esra Tasali, MD, Hyde Park location’s American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Accreditation was obtained on April 4, 2023, maintaining 40 years of continuous accreditation and one of the oldest centers in the country.
  
  • Alejandra Lastra, MD, was appointed as the Chair of the AASM Education Committee, which develops educational programs, initiatives, and products for sleep physicians as well as patients with sleep disorders. She also founded the inpatient advanced respiratory care consult service.
  • Phillip LoSavio, MD, was appointed as the new Chair of the Education Committee for the International Sleep Surgery Society (ISSS). He will be leading the ISSS global education strategy for attendings and residents.
  • Gorav Sharma, MD, joined as an Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship effective August 1, 2023.
• Our Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) program, directed by Mary E. Strek, MD, is among one of three Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Centers in Illinois. Other ILD specialists include Cathryn Lee, MD, and Ayodeji Adegunsoye, MD, who also directs post-COVID pulmonary clinic.
• Our COPD program led by Lucas Kimmig, MD, provides inpatient and outpatient care through a dedicated team of advanced practice providers. We have successfully reduced readmission rates via this comprehensive program. We also partner with our sleep medicine team to streamline the facilitation for home non-invasive ventilator support.
• Our Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Program is led by Edward T. Naureckas, MD, together with Kevin Tsui, MD, as Associate Adult Program Director. This program provides multidisciplinary care including pharmacy, nutrition, behavioral health respiratory therapy and physical therapy evaluation to improve the lives of adults with CF and bronchiectasis.

Expanded access to our specialists across the region

• The Northbrook location, UCM’s first site on Chicago’s North Shore, offers urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, minimally invasive surgery for endometriosis, and obesity medicine-gynecology.
• The new UCM Crown Point location offers gynecologic oncology, urogynecology, and minimally invasive surgery.

• Leading in gynecologic surgery 
  Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Chief Kimberly Kenton, MD, MS, and Gynecology Quality Chief Margaret Mueller, MD, published a review of Activity Restrictions After Gynecologic Surgery in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Their report challenges traditional postoperative restrictions and advocates for increased activity to support recovery.

Contributions to cancer research

• We’re addressing inequities in cancer with UCM’s new AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion set to open on our Hyde Park campus in 2027.
• UCM received the highest honor from the National Cancer Institute, our designation as one of only 56 comprehensive cancer centers nationwide and one of two in Illinois.
• U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 rankings listed UCM as the top cancer hospital in Illinois and ranked us as “high performing” for gynecological cancer surgery.
• Our commitment to advancing cancer biology is reflected in multiple articles in leading journals and honors, including:
  • Adipocytes promote metastasis by diverting glucose by Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, in Nature Metabolism
  • The burden of cervical cancer survivorship by Sarah Ackroyd, MD, MPH, in Gynecologic Oncology Reports
  • A National Institutes of Health grant awarded to Katherine Kurnit, MD, MPH, to study molecular classification and targeted tumor therapy for endometrial cancer.
  • Our gynecologic oncology team, the largest in the Midwest, expanded with the addition of Sudarshan Sharma, MD, at UCM AdventHealth Hinsdale.

Transforming obstetrics through innovation and patient-centered care

• Under the leadership of Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, UCM’s inaugural Chief Obstetric Transformation Officer, we are focused on addressing disparities in care for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and pioneering biomarker testing. We have since earned a Citation of Merit from the American Hospital Association (July 2023) and the Bernard J. Tyson National Award for Excellence in Pursuit of Healthcare Equity (October 2023).
• While many hospitals chose to discontinue midwifery services, UCM added midwifery to meet patients’ desires for a more personalized birth experience.

• Abhinav Sidana, MBBS, joined our faculty as director of the Partial Gland Ablation (PGA) therapy for prostate cancer. He is a national expert on Focal Therapy trained in Urologic Oncology at the National Cancer Institute. He will be leading our program assisted by Gregory Zagaja, MD, and Arieh L. Shalhav, MD. With the addition of his skill set we now offer all ablative therapies including: Focal One® HIFU, TULSA Pro®, Cryotherapy and Electro-vaporization for prostate cancer. With our robust robotic surgery program this enhances our ability to offer all surgical options for primary prostate cancer as well as salvage after radiation therapy.
• Mahmoud Khalil, MBBCh, has joined our program. Mahmoud Khalil, MBBCh, is an Endourology and Robotic Surgery fellowship-trained Surgeon who will be spreading our efforts to expand access to urology to Northwest Indiana and the South suburbs of Chicago.
• We have increased our capacity for UroNav® transperineal fusion prostate procedures, providing biopsies in clinic under local anesthesia or in the OR with sedation by four providers.
• We developed a Gender-Affirming Surgical Program led by Ervin Kocjancic, MD, a nationally recognized expert in transgender surgery who also spearheaded the development of our LGBTQ-friendly clinic at River East and our Urologic reconstruction program.
• Our Robotic Cystectomy program led by Piyush Agarwal, MD, and Parth Modi, MD, MS, is growing, with 45 cases completed in 2023.
• Led by Omer Raheem, MD, a national thought leader in men’s health, we launched our Men’s Wellness program at our River East location. This Urology-led multidisciplinary program includes, Cardiology, Sleep Medicine, Endocrine, Internal Medicine, Mental and Behavioral Health Services, and Orthopedics.
• Scott Eggener, MD, was recently awarded the American Urological Association Mid-Career Award: for outstanding contributions to the profession in research, clinical urology, and advocacy. Under his leadership, our multidisciplinary High-Risk and Advanced Prostate Cancer Clinic continues to offer resources for referred patients.
• The expansion of urology clinics into the South Loop, River East, Orland Park, and Ingalls Memorial Hospital in addition to Hyde Park has made urology more accessible in the Chicagoland region. In 2024 we are excited to offer our services in the Northwest Indiana region with the opening of UChicago Medicine’s Crown Point location.