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.

Board of Directors

A group of passionate individuals, committed to providing relief and hope for digestive diseases patients and their families.

Kathryn Karmin Shafer
President
Principal, Thomas Shafer Architects LLC

Yekaterina Chudnovsky*
Chairperson
Attorney, Executive

Howard A. Grill*
Vice President of Finance/Treasurer
CFO, The Alter Group

Brad Peterson
Secretary
Executive Vice President, Guaranteed Rate

Mark A. Waldeck
Vice President of Marketing
Office President, CRC Group – Chicago

Benjamin Pogofsky
Vice President of Board Development
Vice President, JP Morgan

Biana Lanson, MD
Vice President of Research Grantmaking
Partner, Ear, Nose & Throat Center, LLC

Murray Alscher
DLN Real Estate Advisors

Scott Attar
AMP Outdoor Billboard Advertising

Eric Berlin*
Partner, Dentons US LLP

Michael P. Cogan*
Partner, Cogan & Power, P.C.

Russell D. Cohen, MD
University of Chicago Medicine

Steven R. Davidson*
Partner, Denton’s

Jeffrey A. Fine
Of Counsel, Kirkland and Ellis, LLP

Danny Goldberg
Associates Board President

Peter D. Goldman
President, Reed-Union Corporation

Heidi Henderson
Client Associate, JP Morgan

Karyn Hurwich
Real Estate Professional

Matthew Lebenson
Finance Director

Jonathan Merel
Founder, Law Offices of Jonathan Merel, P.C.

Benjamin S. Riback
Managing Director, William Blair

Sy Taxman
Taxman Corp.

* Past President

Scientific Advisors

Through their guidance, GIRF is proud to champion breakthroughs in understanding, treating, and curing digestive diseases.

David T. Rubin, MD
Joseph B. Kirsner Professor of Medicine
Chief, Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
University of Chicago Medicine

Eugene B. Chang, MD
Martin Boyer Professor, Department of Medicine
Director, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Center
University of Chicago Medicine

Michael R. Charlton, MBBS
Director, Center for Liver Diseases
Co-Director, Transplant Institute
University of Chicago Medicine

Associates Board

Funding groundbreaking research by digestive disease scientists at the start of their career.

Danny Goldberg, President

Katie Bryan

Courtney Cebula

Kathleen Cipolla

Noa Krugliak Cleveland, MD

Kurt Dziama

Rachel Eagle

Jaclyn Hanley

Carly Hennig

Jordan Hirsh

Joan Lines

Trevor Long

Jacqueline Lopez

Dejan Micic, MD

Sheetal Shah

Carli Thomas

Logan Turban

Katherine Waldeck

Morgan Waldeck

 

Associate Board Advisors

Sushila Dalal, MD
Medical Advisor
Assistant Professor
University of Chicago Medicine

Ashley Sidebottom, PhD
Scientific Advisor
Metabolomics Platform Director, DFI-HMMF
University of Chicago Medicine

Advisory Council

Assists in the growth of the GI Research Foundation by providing advice and support to the Board of Directors.

Ronald Borden
Ronald J. Borden & Company, Ltd

Kelly O’Connor
StageLight Group

David A. Rubin

Gary Singer
Kobre & Kim

Amy Tara Koch
Author and Journalist

B.H. Gerald Rogers, MD
University of Chicago Medicine

Saul Rudo
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Hilary Wolfe
Northern Trust

 

 

Erica Matagrano
Amgen

Aaron Rosdal
Prologis

Spencer G. Sachs
SCG Asset Management

Executive Staff

Jackie Casey
Executive Director
jcasey@girf.org

Deborah Barnard
Director of Major Gifts
dbarnard@girf.org

Brittany Zelwin
Fundraising Officer
bzelwin@girf.org

Allison Thielen
Finance and Operations Manager
athielen@girf.org

Join Us
Learn how you can actively support our mission to prevent, treat, and cure digestive diseases.