Meet the Fellows

What drew you to this field?

The diversity of GI is what drew me to this field. There is inpatient and outpatient, high and low acuity, specialty care and primary care.  I also love procedures and using innovative technology to help children.
 
What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?

I am interested in interventional endoscopy, obesity, eosinophilic GI disease, inflammatory bowel disease, medical education, and bioethics. My interests in GI stem from my experiences as a medical student with exemplary mentors. The GI attendings were the best proceduralists, educators, advocates, and compassionate physicians I encountered, and I want to be just like them.

 
What are your research interests

I am interested in interventional endoscopy, eosinophilic GI disease, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Why did you choose Lurie?

Lurie’s strong reputation in the region for GI and liver, the size of the program, the high acuity and complexity of the patients, and the geographic location. 

 
What do you do for fun or to relax?

I enjoy relaxing with my family, running, exercising, and going out to eat.

 
What do you love most about Chicago?
The food is excellent! The summers are beautiful! There is always something to do and explore.

What drew you to this field?
I have always been interested in GI due to experiences with members of my family. Pediatric GI doctors have always been in my life and have really changed our lives. As I was going through my medical training, I kept an open mind but always came back to GI due to the longitudinal patient relationships, the diverse pathology we see, and the range of patient acuity. I also love the procedural component and the mix between inpatient and outpatient.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
I am interested in inflammatory bowel disease. I love the longitudinal relationship with patients and all of the novel treatments that are around now that we can use to make some very sick patients much better. New technology, such as intestinal ultrasound, is also making for a much more comprehensive and better patient experience and I am excited to be at the forefront of these advances. I also am interested in nutrition and celiac disease.

What are your research interests
I am interested in clinical outcomes research in IBD. Specifically, I am looking at healthcare disparities and barriers to care within different patient populations. I am fortunate that we have a large database within our IBD center to conduct such a project and feel grateful to have a lot of support in my research interests. I have always been involved with outcomes-based work ever since medical school, and I love that the results can directly translate to patient care and system-wide/institutional changes in healthcare delivery.
 
Why did you choose Lurie?
I did an away rotation here during residency and was so impressed with everything about this program. The department is big enough that everyone has a niche, but small enough that we get to work closely with every attending. The liver transplant program here is very strong, and I feel as though I will leave fellowship as an autonomous and strong GI clinician and researcher. 
 
What do you do for fun or to relax?
I love to spend time with my husband and son, go on walks through all the nearby neighborhoods of Chicago, and try new restaurants. We also spend a lot of time at home hosting friends for dinner.
 
What do you love most about Chicago?
Chicago is a wonderful city! Having lived only in the northeast prior to moving here for fellowship, I can confidently say that Chicago is truly the best of both worlds-has everything you could possibly need within a few minute walk of your home, but also is clean, easy to navigate, and very family friendly. It is very easy to live here and feel completely settled. 

  

What drew you to this field?
I love the diversity of pathology in GI and understanding how all the different organs (including the hepatobiliary system) all function together and impact one another within the giant “fun slide” that is the GI system! And every day feels unique in this field because of the good mixture of inpatient, outpatient, and complex procedures that we frequently perform.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
I’m very interested in inflammatory bowel disease and I’m also curious about advanced endoscopic procedures. IBD is fascinating to me because there is still so much we don’t know about it, the field is always advancing with newer therapies available, and I appreciate the opportunity to develop longitudinal relationships with these patients. Also, I want to learn more about diet and integrative medicine with the hopes to apply those tools/knowledge as adjuncts in IBD management.

What are your research interests?
I am interested in IBD, intestinal ultrasound, nutrition, and integrative medicine techniques.

Why did you choose Lurie?
I did a rotation at Lurie and absolutely fell in love with the hospital and everyone I met in the GI department (fellows and faculty) from the very beginning. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, the culture felt very inclusive, and the program leadership were clearly extremely supportive of their fellows’ wellness. Also, I wanted to be at a tertiary center that performed advanced GI therapies and diagnostics, had a strong liver transplant program, and had high volume and acuity of patients. And I grew up in the nearby suburbs so it was nice to be back in Illinois and get to live in the city!

What do you do for fun or to relax?
I love walking around the city (or scootering!) and exploring new cafes, restaurants, or fun activity spots. I like to read and often find a scenic spot outside (during the warmer months) to spend a few hours reading. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family.

What do you love most about Chicago?
I love how walkable, lively, and diverse the city is. Each neighborhood has its own vibe, there’s always something to do, the architecture is so cool, and I love being by the lake during the summer!

 

What drew you to this field?
 
I’ve always been drawn to pediatric GI because of the wide variety of disease. But the true moment was when I grabbed the endoscope for the very first time as a resident. That was when I realized this is something I want to do for life. Also, I love that pediatric GI blends procedures, outpatient care, and inpatient care.
 
What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?
 
My main clinical interests are IBD, EoE, and advanced endoscopy. But to be honest, I genuinely enjoy every aspect of GI and hepatology, which makes it hard for me to choose one specific niche right now, because everything in this field excites me.
 
What are your research interests
 
I’m interested in translational research. During fellowship, my goal is to build strong methodology skills and ultimately contribute to improving patient care through research.
 
Why did you choose Lurie?
 
I did an observership at Northwestern before, and I always admired this place. Lurie Children’s provides outstanding training. I feel like the most important thing to grow as a pediatrician and subspecialist is just seeing as many different patients and pathologies as possible, and Lurie provides that variety and depth.
 
What do you do for fun or to relax?
 
I like taking walks by the lake. It’s beautiful, and by the end of the walk my mind always feels clear again.
 
What do you love most about Chicago?
 
Chicago has everything a big city offers, but also space and nature. It’s the perfect balance; you don’t have to give anything up.

What drew you to this field? 

My first rotation as a medical student was with a pediatric gastroenterologist, and I immediately found myself drawn to the field. As I went through my training, I realized that I was drawn to the breadth of disease processes, the procedures, the conversations emphasizing a balance of medical and lifestyle changes especially including nutrition, and the balance of inpatient and outpatient settings.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area? 

I am interested in inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, and nutrition. I have always found inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease interesting because of the diagnostic work up that requires a combination of thinking through lab results and procedural results, and find it satisfying to manage diseases with good therapeutic options and many more in development. I think nutrition is an important and often overlooked portion of medicine, and I enjoy utilizing it to help in the treatment of disease processes.

What are your research interests?

I am interested in inflammatory bowel disease, nutrition as medicine, and over- and undernutrition.

Why did you choose Lurie? 

I chose Lurie's because the program had everything I was looking for in a fellowship. It is a medium-sized program, so we are large enough to be exposed to all of the subspecialties of gastroenterology and hepatology, but we are small enough that we get to know everyone within the division and have continuity with patients. I loved that everyone I met at Lurie along the interview trail was passionate about their work and spoke highly of the community within the division. Also, Chicago is such a vibrant city to live in with so much to offer in our free time.

What do you do for fun or to relax? 

I love to exercise, whether it is running, yoga or barre classes, or just going to the gym. I also love exploring Chicago with my husband and friends between the many delicious restaurants, music scene, street festivals, farmers' markets, and many other activities it has to offer.

What do you love most about Chicago?

Chicago is such a livable city. You can walk everywhere; it is more affordable than other big cities; it has delicious food; the four seasons offer so many changing activities; and the people are "Midwest nice".

What drew you to this field?

I always knew I wanted to pursue pediatrics as a field even before starting medical school. During my training, I became drawn to the system of gastroenterology because it has a nice balance of intuitive medicine and interesting pathology. It only made sense that I focus on pediatric gastroenterology for both the fun patients and challenging and diverse pathology.

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area?

I enjoy general gastroenterology and find each subspecialty intriguing! I enjoy inflammatory bowel disease to eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease to motility and more. 

What are your research interests?

I have previous research experience in clinical treatments of disorders of gut-brain interaction. During fellowship, I’m interested in further research in motility through patients with pyloric dysfunction, understanding their specific symptoms, and use of treatments such as pyloric functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP).

Why did you choose Lurie?

Lurie offers care in nearly every subspecialized field within pediatric gastroenterology which is ideal with exposure and education during fellowship. We also have a rigorous inpatient service that is balanced with stimulating outpatient clinics. The location of Chicago was also ideal for my personal and long-term goals.

What do you do for fun or to relax?

I love to watch movies, attend concerts, and read books. I also enjoy going on long walks.

What do you love most about Chicago?

There’s always something new to discover--whether it’s a neighborhood, event, or a coffee shop!

 

     

     

What drew you to this field? 

During my pre-clinical years, I was drawn to the anatomy and physiology of the GI tract. I loved how each part of the GI tract served a different role and how you could try to pinpoint where a problem along the tract is based on the symptoms someone is experiencing. Clinically, I love the relationships that we get to build with patients and their families as we all work towards helping a child grow and thrive. 

What are your clinical interests? How did you become interested in this area? 

My first love in GI was IBD. I’m particularly interested in Very Early Onset IBD and the burgeoning opportunities for targeted therapies. As a resident, my favorite thing to treat in the hospital was pancreatitis, so I could also see myself specializing in pancreatic disorders. Regardless of what I end up doing, I hope to be heavily involved in medical education! 

What are your research interests 

My research interests include outcomes for patients on advanced IBD therapies, barriers to care in IBD treatment, and growth and development for kids with GI diseases. I would also love to find a way to tie medical education into my research. 

Why did you choose Lurie? 

I did an away rotation in GI as a medical student and it was truly one of the most meaningful experiences of my training. Even though I was only here for a month, the attendings and fellows were clearly invested in my development. I was thrilled to match at Lurie for residency and have cherished the relationships I’ve built, not only with the GI team, but with patients and families over the years. There are some kids who I met as a medical student who I've gotten to see grow up! When I was deciding where to pursue fellowship, Lurie felt like the best place for me to continue growing as a clinician; not just for the unparalleled education opportunities, but for the people.  

What do you do for fun or to relax? 

I'm an avid baker – I still have the same sourdough starter (named Merlin) that I started during the first week of COVID lockdown. I also love to cook, read, play video games, run/exercise, and do karaoke. My husband and I are huge foodies, so we love going out to dinner and throwing extravagant dinner parties! 

What do you love most about Chicago? 

THE LAKE!!! It is so nice to live right next to such a beautiful body of water. There’s nothing better after a long day than strolling along the lake with my husband or taking a dip. I suppose I should also say that we’ve built an incredible community here both at work and outside it, which really fills our cups!