A Life Free From Digestive Disease
Seventy million Americans live with a digestive disease. The GI Research Foundation is at the forefront of science and discovery, partnering with the nationally-ranked University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center to transform their lives.
History of GI Research Foundation
In 1961, the GI Research Foundation was founded by grateful patients and friends of the late Dr. Joseph B. Kirsner, a pioneer in gastroenterology who devoted his life to medicine, teaching, and patient care. Today, the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center is internationally recognized for research-driven medicine and its team of highly specialized physicians.
Inspired by Dr. Kirsner’s vision, the GI Research Foundation helps ensure the UChicago Digestive Diseases Center remains at the forefront of innovation and personalized care.
“Few if any physicians have had a broader and more positive impact than Joe Kirsner on thousands of patients, students and professional colleagues. His legacy at the University of Chicago will persist for generations.”
Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD
Dean of the Division of the Biological Sciences and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago
Our Mission
The GI Research Foundation (GIRF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to support the physicians and scientists at the University of Chicago Medicine Digestive Diseases Center in their efforts to provide outstanding care, train future leaders, and perform innovative clinical and laboratory research in order to treat, cure, and prevent digestive diseases.
Board of Directors
The GI Research Foundation Board of Directors is a group of passionate individuals, committed to providing relief and hope for patients and their families suffering from digestive diseases.
Yekaterina Chudnovsky
President
Howard A. Grill*
Vice President of Finance
CFO
The Alter Group
Mark de Souza
Vice President of Fundraising
CEO, Board Member
Penrose TherapeuTx
Biana Lanson, MD
Vice President of Fundraising
Otolaryngologist, Partner
Ear Nose and Throat Center, LLP
Mark A. Waldeck
Vice President of Marketing
Office President
CRC Group – Chicago
Scott Attar
Vice President of Board Development
Owner
AMP Outdoor Billboard Advertising
Murray Alscher
Shareholder
DLN Real Estate Advisors
Partner
Dentons US LLP
Partner
Cogan & Power, P.C.
Russell D. Cohen, MD
Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
University of Chicago Medicine
Partner
Denton’s
Jeffrey A. Fine
Partner
Kirkland and Ellis, LLP
Peter D. Goldman
President
Reed-Union Corporation
Karyn Hurwich
Amy Tara Koch
Author and Journalist
Jonathan Merel
Founder and Managing Principal
Law Offices of Jonathan Merel, P.C.
Brad Peterson
EVP, Production Analytics & Strategy
Guaranteed Rate
Benjamin Pogofsky
Executive Director
J.P. Morgan
Matthew Lebenson
Finance Director
Benjamin S. Riback
Managing Director
BMO Capital Markets
Aaron Rosdal
Vice President
Capital Deployment, Prologis
Kathryn Karmin Shafer
Principal
Thomas Shafer Architects LLC
Seymour Taxman
Founder and CEO
The Taxman Corporation
+ Deceased
Join the Board
Learn how you can actively support our mission to prevent, treat, and cure digestive diseases.
Scientific Advisors
The GI Research Foundation’s Scientific Advisors counsel the Board of Directors. Through their guidance, GIRF is proud to champion breakthroughs in understanding, treating, and curing digestive diseases.
Lead Scientific Advisor
Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine
Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Co-Director, Digestive Diseases Center
University of Chicago Medicine
Martin Boyer Professor, Department of Medicine
Director, Digestive Diseases Research Core Center
University of Chicago Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Director, Center for Liver Diseases
Co-Director, Transplant Institute
University of Chicago Medicine
Advisory Council
The Advisory Council assists in the growth of the GI Research Foundation by providing advice and support to the Board of Directors.
Joseph Bernstein
Ronald Borden
Heidi Henderson
Erika Higgins
Nitin Jaitly
Ralph Kaufmann
Erica Matagrano
Kelly O’Connor
Hussain Rizvi
B.H. Gerald Rogers
David A. Rubin
Spencer G. Sachs
Gary Singer
Hilary Wolfe
Elijah Wreh
Associates Board
Since 1997, the young professionals of the Associates Board have raised more than $500,000 to fund groundbreaking research by digestive disease scientists at the start of their career.
Brad Peterson
President
Sheetal Shah
Vice President/Secretary
Jordan Hirsch
Treasurer
Lauren Martin
Vice President of Fundraising
Katie Waldeck
Vice President of Fundraising
Carly Hennig
Vice President of Grant Funding
Katie Bryan
Vice President of Membership/Marketing/Social Media
Shelley Brown
Kasey Chronis
Courtney Cebula
Noa Cleveland
Ann Marie Czcerwinski
Nick Dinardi
Kyle Dolan
Rachael Eagle
Kurt Dziama
Sarah Goldberg
Rachel Gross
Jaclyn Hanley
Rachel Hendee
Mike Jesselson
Grace Kelmer
Gordon Lerman
Joan Lines
Jacqueline Lopez
Julie McDermott-Hagerty
Emily Reid
Betsy Staar
Brett Tolpin
Scientific Advisors
Sushila Dalal, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
The University of Chicago Medicine
Ashley Sidebottom, PhD
Post-Doctoral Scholar, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
The University of Chicago Medicine
Executive Staff
Deborah Barnard
Director of Major Gifts
dbarnard@girf.org
Brittany Zelwin
Fundraising Officer
bzelwin@girf.org
Silver Hannon
Development Associate
shannon@girf.org
Farrah Watson
Director of Finance
fwatson@girf.org